The Autumn Examination of Yunzhong Academy was crucial in order to secure a place in the Capital Examination. It was of the utmost importance.
Therefore, when this news emerged, especially from the lips of the mansion's head, Mr. Pei Laozhu, many were stirred into action and eager to challenge this mysterious young man.
Almost on the same day the news went out, several top students of Yunzhong Academy, who were determined to get a spot in the Capital Examination, vowed to give Pei Xuanjing a hard time and make him realize the reality.
Of course, every action has its supporters and its opponents. Mr. Pei Laozhu was a crafty strategist and rarely made a mistake, hence he had a vast following.
The saying goes: 'If a person stays quiet for three years, he will shake the world when he speaks; if a bird does not fly for three years, it will ascend to heaven once it takes off.'
The terrific emperor of the Great Chu Empire had also been underestimated in his youth. But the brilliance he showed after three years of silence dazzified everyone.
These people believed that there must be something extraordinary about Pei Xuanjing that had caught Mr. Pei Laozhu's favor. Perhaps he could surprise everyone.
Regardless, from the moment when Pei Xuanjing's participation in the Autumn Examination was announced, the storm he stirred up couldn't be stopped by anyone, not even by Mr. Pei Laozhu.
At the center of this storm, Pei Xuanjing, who had already created a huge stir in Yunzhong City and the whole Yunzhong County, still knew nothing about this. As he had for the past twelve years, he sat in the attic gazing at the sky, watching the clouds come and go without the slightest disturbance.
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye a month had passed, and the Autumn Examination which had attracted the attention of the entire Yunzhong County was about to begin.
As the first ray of the morning sun illuminated the earth, the usually quiet Yunzhong Academy started to buzz with activity.
The whole Autumn Examination took place over three days. The first two days were mostly for the juniors who had recently begun their cultivation, providing a stage for testing their progress over the year.
They would test their talents and realms, and spar with others to find shortcomings in their cultivation over the past year, and strengthen their foundations.
But what everyone looked forward to most was the competition on the third day. For many people, the early stages were just the appetizers, and the true meat of the feast was yet to come.
In the past, many unexpected talents had sprung up in the third day competition, surprising everyone and gaining endless glory and brilliance.
This year, due to the news of Pei Xuanjing's participation, the competition had attracted even wider attention. Not only would some of the key figures from the Pei Mansion attend, but also the County Magistrate's Mansion and leaders from other major powers.
The competition hadn't begun yet, but important personalities from various powerful families had already arrived, each taking their place, their eyes all gazing in the same direction, awaiting the arrival of certain individuals.
"Thump, Thump…" Suddenly, the earth trembled as a team of knights rode in.
"Black Cloud Knights! They are the knights serving under the County Magistrate. Is a VIP from the Magistrate's Mansion coming?" There were surprised expressions on many faces when these knights appeared.
"It's an honor to have Colonel Guo join us today. Dean Gu has failed to give you a proper reception, I hope you'll forgive us."
The head of Yunzhong Academy, Dean Gu Yunshan, welcomed the knights with hearty laughter.
Upon hearing his words, everyone understood the identity of the newcomer.
Guo Yi, the strongest warrior under the County Magistrate's command, led the Black Cloud Knights to numerous glorious victories.
"Dean Gu, you're too polite." Guo Yi dismounted from his horse and responded with a bow. "I hope you won't mind my uninvited arrival today."
Dean Gu Yunshan wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a sudden round of exclamations.
"Here they come, they're here."
"Mr. Pei Laozhu is here. That boy behind him must be the one!"
"With a handsome face and an elegant demeanor, regardless of anything else, this mysterious man's extraordinary temperament alone is quite impressive," someone whispered in the crowd.
He could be all flash and no substance for all we know," someone retorted, clearly out of jealousy.
"He actually doesn't appear to have cultivated."
"Can someone who has never cultivated participate in the Autumn
Examination? This doesn't make sense, " someone frowned and added.
In any case, Pei Xuanjing's arrival with Mr. Pei Laozhu stirred up discussion among many people. The whole academy's Practice Martial Arts Field was crowded with people who had diverse opinions about him.
"Disciple Guo Yi pays respect to the teacher." The first war general Guo Yi, seeing Mr. Pei Laozhu's arrival, quickly walked up, bowed and greeted him.
He had once served under Mr. Pei Laozhu as a soldier, and although he was only a low-ranking official back then, he held Mr. Pei Laozhu in high esteem.
Mr. Pei Laozhu observed Guo Yi, shook his hand with a smile, then shook his head. "There's no need for all this formality. I really don't know when you're going to change your stodgy personality."
Guo Yi gave a bitter smile and refrained from further conversation, merely stealing a curious glance at Pei Xuanjing who stood behind Mr. Pei Laozhu.
However, Mr. Pei Laozhu did not want to delve into the matter further, turning to Pei Xuanjing he said, "Go wait in the seating area on the east side." Pei Xuanjing nodded without a word and headed for the seats on the east side. Mr. Pei Laozhu then said to Dean Gu Yunshan, "I'm causing you trouble these days."
Dean Gu Yunshan smiled, "Mr. Pei Laozhu, how could I refuse when it's you who's asking?"
The seats on the east side were for the students participating in the competition, and many of them had already taken their seats.
As they watched Mr. Pei Laozhu slowly walk over, these students had varied expressions towards the sudden intruder.
Some smiled, some watched with indifference, some glared with anger… there were various reactions.
But due to the presence of several experienced instructors and the academy's strict rules, these students could only utter cold remarks and sarcastic comments.
However, Pei Xuanjing remained unmoved in the face of all this, ignoring all the chatter and finding an empty seat to sit down.
He understood that he was, after all, an outsider and his appearance was likely to have stepped on the toes of these students. No matter what he said, these people wouldn't accept it.
However, Pei Xuanjing didn't care about this at all.
Because to him, these things were simply insignificant. Considering his age, he could easily be their senior. Why should he care about their opinions?
Furthermore, once he demonstrated his sufficient strength, he naturally would suppress any disagreements. Once they saw his strength, they would start to think slowly. This was a magnanimity that only the strong possess..
A middle-aged instructor slowly walked toward the practice martial arts field, attracting the gaze of nearly everyone around.
The middle-aged instructor glanced at the bustling crowd, and announced loudly: "Fellow students, after two days of selection, a total of 126 of you will be participating in the autumn examination today. The rules of the contest need no explanation, and they're different from the past. But remember, only the top ten students will earn a spot to represent the academy in the triennial Five Mansions Competition."
"Now, who will come first?"
"I will." A voice rang out, and everyone watched a young man leap onto the practice martial arts field.
The young man looked at Pei Xuanjing: "I, Wei Hang, challenge Pei Xuanjing." Wei Hang watched Pei Xuanjing with eager eyes, anticipating his reaction.
At eighteen years old, he had just entered the Qi Realm with his Inner Qi. Among his peers at Yunzhong Academy, he wasn't the most talented, but his skills were above average.
He stepped up to challenge Pei Xuanjing first, not just because others wanted him to do so, but also because it was his own desire as well.
He was envious of Pei Xuanjing. Why should he strive to earn a place in Yunzhong Academy to compete in the autumn examination, while the latter could participate so easily? He longed for a grandfather like Mr. Pei Laozhu, who could provide him with precious guidance.
What disgusted him the most was that Pei Xuanjing, despite having such abundant resources for cultivation, refused to cultivate. He hadn't cultivated for over a decade, claiming to gain the knowledge of the principle of Heaven and Earth to forge his own Great Tao.
Pretentious! That was Wei Hang's opinion of Pei Xuanjing.
Today, he planned to reveal the truth, strip away Pei Xuanjing's disguise, and reveal his hypocrisy to the world.
All eyes turned to Pei Xuanjing, the mysterious young man who seldom appeared in public, yet whose story was widely circulated throughout Yunzhong County.
When it was first announced that he, a teenager, refused to diligently cultivate, choosing instead to meditate for three years to understand the principles of Heaven and Earth and find his own path, many people scoffed at him, believing him to be a dreamer.
Now, everyone was eagerly watching him, waiting to see whether he would turn out to be a fraud or truly surprise them. Everything depended on his performance next.
Pei Xuanjing knew that there wouldn't be peace today, but he hadn't expected himself to be so unwelcome, with the first challenger being him.
Nevertheless, it didn't matter. He stood up and slowly walked toward the center of the practice martial arts field.
"I didn't expect someone to steal my chance. What a pity!" In the crowd, someone looked at Pei Xuanjing with a hint of regret.
"Mr. Pei Laozhu, has your decade of nurturing truly produced a young tiger?" The principal of Yunzhong Academy, Gu Yunshan, looked at the calm Mr. Pei Laozhu and wondered.
Everyone knew that today's autumn examination would be lively, but they hadn't expected it to be so lively right from the start.
"Pei Xuanjing, do you accept his challenge?" the middle-aged instructor asked.
Immediately, everyone's gaze turned to Pei Xuanjing, waiting for his reply.
The morning sunlight shone on his handsome face, highlighting his mild smile, making him look surprisingly refined.
"Of course, I accept." Pei Xuanjing nodded.
The middle-aged instructor nodded, quickly stepped back, and left the field to the two young men.
Wei Hang looked at the young man in front of him with a gentle smile, and impatiently said: "Are you still planning to hide your cultivation? Don't treat all the people present as fools."
Well, he absolutely didn't believe that Pei Xuanjing hadn't cultivated for more than a decade. In his view, Pei Xuanjing's claim of not having cultivated for years was just a stunt to gain fame.
"You," Wei Hang's face showed anger, he scolded: "I don't want to win unfairly and be accused of bullying an ordinary person who hasn't cultivated."
In the end, he was still an inexperienced young man. Despite his scheming mind, he valued his reputation much more.
Pei Xuanjing nodded in agreement and said: "In that case, would you mind waiting a moment?"
"Huh?" Wei Hang was puzzled, but before he could speak, his eyes widened as if he had seen something incredible.
Not just him, nearly all the people present widened their eyes with an aura of surprise while looking at Pei Xuanjing.
As soon as Pei Xuanjing finished speaking, he took a step. In an instant, the exotic Heaven and Earth Essence Qi on the practice martial arts field suddenly became agitated. Encircling Pei Xuanjing at the center, radiant Qi flowed around him.
"This is impossible?" Wei Hang opened his mouth in disbelief.
In the Inner Qi realm, a martial artist opens their Dantian, cultivates Inner Qi, and slowly unblocks the Twelve Positive Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Channels in their body, making all the channels unobstructed.
Yet, Pei Xuanjing was absorbing the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi directly, causing him to be incredibly shocked.
Given the dominant and violent nature of the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the meridians that have not been nourished by Inner Qi simply cannot withstand it, and could cause irreparable damage to one's meridians.
Yet, the sight of Pei Xuanjing directly absorbing the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi left everyone dumbfounded.
As far as Pei Xuanjing was concerned, his meridians were naturally unobstructed. Add to that the constant nourishing and refining of Inner Qi, and in terms of toughness, many third-tier martial artists would pale in comparison.
The violent Heaven and Earth Essence Qi became incredibly tame upon entering his body and quickly filled his meridians. Qi Realm, the first stage of Martial Arts, accomplished.
Yet, it was not over.
All Pei Xuanjing said was: "This… is not enough!"
Boom!
An intimidating aura burst from Pei Xuanjing, who seemed to merge with Heaven and Earth. The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi around him crazily rushed into his body, making him appear like a vortex, devouring all the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in the surroundings. The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi flowed into his body, transforming into Inner Qi that circulated within him.
Under the refinement of Pei Xuanjing's Yin Spirit strength, the first strand of True Qi was developed.
True Qi Realm, the second stage of Martial Arts, accomplished!
Yet, it still didn't stop!
Then, the second strand of True Qi was born.
Everyone watched Pei Xuanjing, who was in the heart of the Heaven and Earth Etheric Qi whirlwind, their faces filled with shock.
"He was born with all channels unblocked; truly an outstanding talent indeed!"
"Mr. Pei Laozhu has a good eye for talent, we admire him!"
"The Pei family will rise!"
"Such talent is rare even in the Empire, who would have thought it would appear in our Yunzhong County."
Seeing this scene, some people immediately congratulated Mr. Pei Laozhu.
"Wei Hang is in trouble this time, who would have thought that he's a true dragon."
Those who had originally felt that they missed the opportunity to make their name by challenging Pei Xuanjing before Wei Hang, now felt lucky and believed they were fortunate..
Strength is what best explains everything.
Almost immediately after Pei Xuanjing demonstrated his unparalleled talent, everyone's perception of him changed significantly.
Geniuses have the right to be proud.
When geniuses succeed, their past experiences become part of their legendary journeys.
Now, no one doubts Pei Xuanjing's claim that he achieved enlightenment after twelve years. They simply see this as a distinctive feature of his genius.
At this moment, the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi began to gradually calm down. Pei Xuanjing maintained his pleasant smile, but Wei Hang, on the other hand, was completely taken aback.
"Now, you can make your move." Pei Xuanjing looked at Wei Hang and calmly said.
Wei Hang looked at the boy in front of him who had just demonstrated his extraordinary talents. Although shocked by his display, he was not ready to admit defeat so easily.
In his view, they were both at the Qi Realm level, and even if Pei Xuanjing's cultivation level was slightly higher than his own, it was possible that Pei Xuanjing had not yet mastered martial arts since he had only started cultivating today. Therefore, Wei Hang believed that he still had a chance.
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, Wei Hang took action without hesitation. With his minor accomplishment in the Qi Realm, he made all-out effort to attack, causing a massive tremor in the practice martial arts field. He threw a punch directly at Pei Xuanjing.
"Thud!"
A dull sound echoed. Wei Hang's full-strength punch had no effect. When he was about to get near Pei Xuanjing, he saw Pei Xuanjing's right hand moved slightly, flicking Wei's fist lightly.
The tremendous force sent Wei's body flying, crashing into the ground and raising a cloud of dust.
"This…" Wei Hang was terrified. He couldn't believe that his all-out attack was thwarted by a mere flick of Pei Xuanjing's fingers. It almost completely crushed his confidence.
"Even if Pei Xuanjing's Realm is slightly higher than Wei Hang's, given Wei
Hang's strength, he shouldn't have been blocked so easily, should he?"
In the crowd, many who were hoping for a fierce fight were startled. Wei Hang's strength was considerable within the academy, or else he wouldn't have qualified for the third Autumn Exam.
"Do you want to continue?" Pei Xuanjing asked Wei Hang, whose face was changing colors.
Wei Hang stood up and bowed in apology. "I admit defeat," he said.
He wanted to make a name for himself, but he was not a fool. From being sent flying by a single flick yet not wounded, he knew that Pei Xuanjing had held back. If he had insisted on going on, he would be going against good judgment.
Pei Xuanjing nodded and said with a smile, "I appreciate your understanding_.
As far as he was concerned, there was nothing to be proud of in defeating Wei Hang. Wei was in no position to compare with Pei's vast accumulation of foundations.
The Middle-aged Instructor hadn't expected the competition between the two to outcome so simply. He once again stepped onto the practice field and announced the result of the match.
After the results were announced, Wei Hang stepped off the martial arts field. However, to the surprise of the Middle-aged Instructor, Pei Xuanjing, the winner, remained standing in the field.
Then he heard Pei Xuanjing's voice: "This kind of competition is a waste of time. Why don't I take up the role of a challenger? Any of you who wants to challenge me, feel free to step forward."
After hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, the entire martial arts field was in an uproar.
What, he wants to be a challenger and accept challenges from everyone in the field? Wasn't that too arrogant?
Such an act was unprecedented in the history of Qingyang Academy. It was as if he was disregarding every disciple on the field.
Just when everyone thought the Middle-aged Instructor would stop Pei Xuanjing's disrespectful behavior towards the competition rules, they saw the instructor take a step forward and look at the students around the practice field, saying loudly: "As Pei Xuanjing said, the rules of the competition have changed. There are no rules or restrictions for today's competition. The last ten people left in the field will be the final candidates."
"Why is the instructor changing the rules all of a sudden?" A disciple was perplexed.
"Pei Xuanjing is too arrogant."
Nobody knew when the Middle-aged Instructor was about to stop Pei Xuanjing and tell him he was violating the competition rules. The instructor received several messages telling him not to interfere with Pei Xuanjing's actions and introduced a new rule.
What!?
Not only were the students from the academy shocked, but many powerful figures from Yunzhong County who were sitting in the grandstand were also surprised. Such a competition was unprecedented and completely unusual.
With Pei Xuanjing's previous actions, and the changes in the rules, this combination nearly told everyone that they could all challenge Pei Xuanjing all at once, even if it meant attacking him in a group.
Pei Xuanjing was slightly taken aback but soon understood. His actions not only offended the participating disciples but also made some instructors lose face. After all, these students were personally taught by them.
Therefore, when someone immediately changed the rules, it was to make him a target of public criticism, bring him disgrace, and even lose his spot in the competition. It was an open scheme that no one, even Mr. Pei Laozhu, could stop. Since Pei Xuanjing was the first to break the rules, it was justified for others to follow suit.
However, Pei Xuanjing didn't take this calculation to heart. After all, any scheme, in the face of absolute power, will fall apart on its own.
Everyone else didn't know Pei Xuanjing's confidence, but his actions had fueled public anger.
When all the disciples participating in the competition got onto the martial arts field, a strange scene unfolded.
On the vast martial arts field, a clear divide formed: one side was occupied by all the participating disciples, taking up half the field; on the other side, only Pei Xuanjing stood alone.
They didn't make a move, interestingly enough. Instead, they all turned their eyes to Pei Xuanjing, who seemed somewhat aloof.
"I'll challenge you!"
All eyes turned to the boy who had come out from the crowd. After all, after Pei Xuanjing had already demonstrated his formidable strength, anyone who dared to challenge him was either a fool or had a certain degree of confidence in their strength. And those who could study at Qingyang Academy wouldn't be the former.
"It's him, Murong Hai. He's twenty-two years old and has achieved a major accomplishment in the Qi Realm. He may advance to the third stage before he turns thirty." From the crowd, someone immediately identified the young man.
Major accomplishment in the Qi Realm at the age of twenty-two; such a talent would be considered a genius throughout the empire.
The knowledgeable among the instructors thought to themselves: this should be able to test Pei Xuanjing's strength as they were the ones most familiar with Murong Hails capabilities..