「The next morning.」
Chu Bai stood outside the main gates, his green robe swaying gently in the morning breeze. He straightened his attire and bowed deeply toward the entrance of the Zhang Mansion.
A side door opened slowly, and Daoist Zhang emerged, dressed in a simple Daoist Robe.
He looked at his prized disciple before him. His eyes, usually half-closed, now held a rare, almost imperceptible glimmer of expectation.
"Go on." Daoist Zhang didn’t say much, offering none of the usual lengthy instructions or warnings.
But just as Chu Bai turned to leave, a soft-spoken sentence drifted to his ears on the morning breeze: "A calm heart is key; don’t be greedy."
Chu Bai paused but did not turn back. He simply bowed once more, engraving those seven seemingly ordinary but profound words into his heart.
Then, he strode away, heading toward the Anping Examination Hall.
The Anping Examination Hall was located in the center of the county seat. Its gates were usually sealed shut, projecting an air of solemn dignity. It was a vital site where the county held imperial examinations and the selection for the Daoist School.
Today, however, it was a sea of people.
The massive Cyan Stone Square was already packed with a bustling crowd.
There were anxious candidates making last-minute preparations, family elders who had come to see them off, and even more commoners who were simply there for the spectacle.
The sounds of discussion, last-minute advice, and even vendors’ hawking all mingled together.
"Hey, isn’t that the young master of Landlord Wang from the east side of town? I heard his family spent a fortune on Qi Gathering Powder for this selection!"
"Qi Gathering Powder is nothing! Look over there—that’s the Li Family’s carriage! I hear Young Master Li is aiming for the top spot this time!"
Amid the clamor, Chu Bai was like a drop of water in the ocean, completely inconspicuous.
But his calm and steady demeanor made those around him subconsciously give him some space.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
Gu Qinghe was standing under an old willow tree, arms crossed, his gaze as sharp as a torch.
Though his clothes were still plain, the sharp aura he’d gained after breaking through to the Qi Cultivation stage was impossible to hide.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
No words were exchanged, only a slight nod.
Having been classmates and sparring partners for half a year, Chu Bai was naturally happy for his breakthrough. Today, however, on the examination grounds, they were all competitors.
A long, melodious Bell toll echoed from deep within the Examination Hall, instantly silencing all the clamor in the square.
7:00 AM had arrived. The main gates of the Examination Hall slowly swung open.
Two rows of elite Armored Warriors in Black Armor, holding long halberds, filed out and quickly brought the scene under control. A grim, murderous aura spread out, instantly quieting the restless crowd.
"Candidates, enter!" a Clerk shouted.
Chu Bai moved forward slowly with the flow of people.
The entry inspection was extremely strict. Not only were their wooden identity tokens verified, but a dedicated Cultivator also used Spiritual Sense to scan their entire bodies. Any concealed Talismans, Pills, or even accessories imbued with Spiritual Qi would be instantly discovered.
"This Jade Pendant, take it off."
When it was Chu Bai’s turn, the inspecting Cultivator pointed to the Calm Heart Jade Ring at his waist.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Chu Bai unfastened the Jade Ring and handed it over for temporary safekeeping.
Although the ring only helped calm his mind and had no other effects, he would not break the rules.
After passing the inspection, the twenty-seven qualified candidates were led to the Martial Arts Arena inside the Examination Hall.
The Martial Arts Arena was exceptionally wide, its ground paved with hard cyan stone slabs.
At the very front of the arena stood a high platform.
At this moment, a middle-aged man in black official robes, a Long Saber hanging at his waist, stood on the platform.
His face was as cold and hard as iron, with sharp, chiseled features. When he blinked, his eyes seemed to flash with brilliant light, and his overwhelming Evil Qi could make one’s heart palpitate even from a great distance.
This was none other than Anping County’s renowned Iron Face—Magistrate Zhang.
His gaze swept over the twenty-seven youths below the platform, devoid of any warmth. It was as if he were looking at a flock of lambs waiting for slaughter, or a pile of unformed scrap iron.
"I am the Chief Examiner for this Daoist School selection, Zhang Cheng."
His voice wasn’t loud, yet it clanged like striking metal, drilling clearly into everyone’s ears. "I will dispense with the pleasantries. The Daoist School selection is to recruit talent for the Celestial Court and build a reserve for the Great Zhou. Here, only strength matters. There is no room for luck."
"If anyone dares to cheat or attempts to bluff their way through..."
SHING!
The Long Saber at his waist shot out of its sheath by half an inch. A frigid wave of Sword Qi swept across the entire arena, causing a few of the more timid candidates to turn deathly pale, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
"My saber shows no mercy!"
After intimidating the crowd, Magistrate Zhang sheathed his saber with a flick of his wrist and retrieved a golden-glowing Official Seal from his robes.
The Official Seal was only the size of a palm, carved with a lifelike Exotic Beast that emanated a vast and mighty pressure.
He tossed the Official Seal into the air, formed a complex Dharma Seal with his hands, and began to chant:
"Imperial Heaven and Sovereign Earth, the Law Net is vast and inescapable; witness my sincere heart, descend with divine power and reveal your might!"
"Descend!"
Following his low shout, the Official Seal suspended in mid-air erupted with a brilliant golden light, as dazzling as a miniature sun.
Then, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, the once-clear sky above the Examination Hall suddenly rippled.
A massive net of interwoven golden light slowly materialized, blanketing the sky and blotting out the sun, exuding an aura of supreme majesty.
That was the foundation of the Great Zhou’s Yun Dynasty, the very thing that suppressed the world and managed its Spiritual Qi—the Celestial Court’s Law Net!
It covered every State Mansion in the Great Zhou, its range immense and its power terrifying.
Even a mere projection of the Law Net was enough to make every Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator present feel as insignificant as an ant.
The Law Net trembled, and a hundred tangible pillars of spiritual light descended, landing precisely on the Martial Arts Arena.
As the light faded, one hundred circular stone platforms, each half a person’s height, appeared out of thin air on the once-empty field.
Each stone platform was enveloped in a faint Spiritual Light Protective Shield, isolating it from the outside world.
This was the first time Chu Bai had seen such a setup. ’I’ve heard some Arrays can speed up cultivation,’ he thought. ’These platforms isolate the Spiritual Qi inside from the outside. Could they have a similar effect?’
Since the test was about the ability to absorb Spiritual Qi, it was clearly related to the Law Net. Chu Bai quickly tried to probe with his Spiritual Sense, but found it couldn’t penetrate the stone platforms at all, forcing him to give up.
"These are Spirit Nurturing Platforms, places where the Law Net guides and gathers nature’s spiritual energy."
With a wave of his hand, Magistrate Zhang had a Clerk behind him step forward with a tray, distributing a specially made gray Jade Ring to each candidate.
"The first test: Qi Absorption."
"The rules are simple. Over the next five double-hours, the Spiritual Qi Attribute on the Spirit Nurturing Platforms will change five times as the Law Net operates. You are to get on the platforms, cultivate, and absorb the Spiritual Qi. After circulating it through your body to filter out impurities, you will inject it into this Spirit Storage Jade Ring."
"In the end, victory will be determined by the total amount of Spiritual Qi in your Jade Ring!"
"Now, take your places!"
As the crisp sound of a Copper Gong echoed through the sky, the Law Net overhead trembled once more. Spiritual Light surged on the hundred Spirit Nurturing Platforms, and multicolored motes of light began to appear.
The first test had officially begun!

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