Inside the examination hall, the long bell tolled.

The deep, resonant sound, like an invisible wave, swept across the entire examination hall.

Chen Xu suddenly sensed something amiss.

He felt that the Innate Qi in his dantian seemed to be suppressed by some invisible force. After the bell sounded, there was an indescribable sense of heaviness, making it extremely difficult to circulate.

He recalled Feng Yuanbai once saying, "The first bell of the prefectural exam is called the Heaven-Equalizing Bell. When this bell tolls, all beings are equal.

Some scholars come from prestigious families and learn Qi Cultivation techniques before they gain recognition, nurturing a breath of Qi in their dantian that distinguishes them from others.

To restrict these scholars who cultivate Qi early to prevent them from disrupting the examination with their cultivation, the prefectural and county-level exams both have the Heaven-Equalizing Bell."

According to Feng Yuanbai, when the Heaven-Equalizing Bell tolls, regular, non-cultivating scholars usually do not notice anything unusual.

However, those who cultivate Qi early will naturally have their cultivation suppressed, unable to utilize the Qi in their dantian within the examination ground.

Yet, Chen Xu discovered that although his Innate Qi was being suppressed and circulated sluggishly, it could still function.

The Innate Qi indeed differs from ordinary Qi Cultivation; once again, Chen Xu clearly felt the distinction.

After the bell tolled three times, it was time for the officials to inspect the hall.

The prefect, Ding Qian, along with two vice examiners sent by the Ministry of Rites, escorted by soldiers, inspected all 5,900 examination booths in the hall.

This year, Yunjiang Prefecture had 3,700 candidates, leaving the examination hall not completely filled, so the last few rows were blocked off.

As Chen Xu sat in his examination booth, he felt that when Prefect Ding Qian walked past his booth, he seemed to linger slightly longer.

Soon, those silhouettes in official attire faded away into the distance.

Before long, the test paper was unsealed, and a ceremonial officer loudly proclaimed: "From ancient to modern times, the sun and moon shine, the long rivers of heaven and earth flow, all saints bear witness.

In the eleventh year of Yonghui, the 487th prefectural examination of Yunjiang Prefecture, the first session, the secret paper is unsealed!"

"Raise the talisman, and record the files."

"Distribute the exam papers—"

The sense of ceremony was overwhelming, and as Chen Xu sat in his booth, he suddenly felt a slight surge of excitement.

Various subtle sounds arose from the nearby booths, as if all the scholars were moved.

Until the exam papers were distributed, and the patrolling soldiers shouted again: "Silence!"

The entire examination hall suddenly fell into a boundless silence.

Only the sound of pages being turned and an occasional soft "hiss" could be heard.

The prefectural exam had a total of three sessions, completed over two days, with no leaving the hall in between.

The first session was on classical texts, divided into three parts: Four Books interpretation, Text Annotation, and Classical Interpretation.

This was supposed to be the most basic exam, focusing on classical memorization and knowledge accumulation.

Yet the number of questions was overwhelmingly large, extensive—

The Four Books interpretation and Text Annotation parts alone totaled over a hundred questions.

This enormous number of questions, coupled with a full day of examination, was enough to exhaust many candidates mentally.

Many would find their thoughts muddled and their minds in a daze, those with insufficient foundation would thus be weeded out.

However, for Chen Xu, this exam should pose no difficulty at all.

He possessed a strong Divine Soul, and after consuming the Lotus Wisdom Soup, he gained an exceptional memory.

Books he'd seen, once glanced at, would not be forgotten, so why fear rote memorization?

The only issue lied in some books he hadn't had access to before.

Fortunately, Feng Yuanbai recently helped him fill this gap, and during the day when Feng Yuanbai was absent, Master Wu Zhengze often gave Chen Xu extra guidance.

Chen Xu only needed to pay attention to the presentation of his exam paper.

He ground the ink, picked up the brush, and wrote fluidly and effortlessly.

At some point, the whole examination hall was filled with the gentle rustling of brush strokes falling on paper.

Chen Xu tuned out external matters, diligently focusing on answering the questions.

Despite the vast number of questions, he wrote quickly enough.

The Four Books interpretation and Text Annotation flowed smoothly without any hindrance, as time unknowingly slipped away.

At noon, Chen Xu didn't eat, only closing his eyes for a short rest.

In the afternoon, he began to tackle the Classical Interpretation questions.

There were three questions on Classical Interpretation, which Chen Xu found to fall into the category of difficult for those who struggle, yet easy for those who understand.

With his quick thinking, he swiftly completed the first two questions.

Arriving at the last question: Mencius said, "I cultivate my Vast Qi well," explain "Vast Qi."

How should one answer this question?

Incorporating the current trend of scholars cultivating and practicing Qi, Chen Xu believed it should combine Qi with righteousness.

Answer: What is Qi?

Mencius said: "As for Qi, it is vast and unyielding, if nurtured with straightforwardness without harm, it will fill the space between heaven and earth."

"It is born from the accumulation of righteousness, not something acquired through expedience."

—Explaining Mencius with Mencius, annotating sages with sages, ensuring nothing goes wrong, yet adding one's own view.

Vast Qi is the unyielding courage within the chest, indestructible integrity, otherwise what qualifies it as vast?

This question was limited to three hundred words; a bit more but definitely not less.

Chen Xu controlled the word count, writing precisely three hundred and one words, then checked his exam paper once more.

While he was intently reviewing, suddenly a gust of cool wind arose from nowhere, blowing fiercely both inside and outside the examination hall.

Nearby, a scholar cried out in alarm: "My exam paper!"

But it was too late, that paper was already carried by the evil wind, swirling up into the air.

At the end of the examination hall, a guard with a sword suddenly leapt up, his figure as agile as an eagle soaring through the sky, and in a flash, he caught the test paper that had flown into the air.

The guard landed lightly on the ground again, truly swift and agile like a fleeing rabbit and a diving falcon.

The test paper was retrieved, but on the other end of the hall, the patrolling soldiers shouted, "Keep your heads down, don't look!"

Then, the student who lost the test paper was "invited" out of the hall.

The student cried bitterly, "My test paper... the test paper I worked so hard on! The paper is found, I didn't cheat, so why am I not allowed to continue the exam?"

"The improper safeguarding of the test paper results in natural disqualification from the exam, move along, if you want to try again next year, don't make a fuss."

...

The imperial examinations have always been this harsh.

No one can do anything about it, and the other students become even more cautious, burying their heads in answering the questions.

Unconsciously, the sun's shadow gradually shifted.

Until early afternoon, only then: Dong—

The long bell sounded again, signaling the time to submit the test papers.

Panic and even pleading voices arose in the examination hall: "My paper, I still have a few questions unanswered! May I answer just one more question?"

"Do not pester, if you don't follow the rules, you won't be allowed to take the next two exams either."

"Everyone else could finish, why can't you?"

Someone began to cry, "I... I also didn't finish."

"Be quiet, be quiet, any more noise and you'll lose the qualification for the exam!"

In the first round of the prefectural exam, more than a third of the examinees could not complete all the questions.

The Great Li Dynasty's exams have always been such, the county test being the simplest, each subsequent one more difficult than the last.

No wonder they say a "Tongsheng" is not to be considered an achieved title.

In the Great Li Dynasty, passing the county test makes one a "Tongsheng," which differs from Chen Xu's memories of some dynasties where the prefectural test granted this title.

But in Great Li, the prefectural and academy exams are nearly consecutive, with only a seven-day interval.

This system makes the exam for "Scholars" particularly brutal.

The test papers were ultimately collected, regardless of pleading, crying. If you still desire to continue taking exams, you must learn to accept reality.

The papers from the first round were collected, and the papers for the second round had yet to be distributed.

Although it was only mid-afternoon and not yet evening, it was now time for the second meal for the students.

Because many students, like Chen Xu, had nothing to eat during the first exam, fearing that their eyes would blur from hunger, only now were they allowed to eat something.

And fifteen minutes later, the second round of test papers would be distributed.

Soldiers patrolled both sides, and the leading officer shouted aloud, "No whispering, no talking to each other!"

Thus, even when eating, everyone kept their voices low, lest they be suspected of cheating.

Since the exam lasted only two days, Chen Xu brought only small pieces of flatbread as dry rations.

He brought this not for any particular reason, but to clearly show he had nothing hidden, hoping the inspectors wouldn't tear his food to shreds.

Even so, much of the flatbread was still torn apart.

Chen Xu only took a few bites casually before setting it aside.

Now he was full of Qi Blood, brimming with Essence, so going without food for one or two days, or even three to five days, was nothing.

At that moment, as he closed his eyes to rest, it seemed to indeed have some sense of "nurturing my Vast Qi."

It is said, "Those who feed on Qi, become divine and live long; those who do not eat, do not die and become immortal."

Fifteen minutes later, the second round of papers was handed out, and as soon as the topics were revealed, the examination hall was in an uproar.

It turned out this round not only included routine classical long essay recitations, but also added divination and law subjects!

Just as the rumors before the exam had suggested—

But, it's important to note that not everyone had heard the rumors.

"Silence!"

A soldier's angry shout rang out, bringing everyone back to their senses.

The uproar was suppressed, and the hall returned to silence.

It was unclear when it began to rain, but the rain pattered on the roofs of the students' booths, on the stone roads of the Imperial Examination Hall, and spattered on the hems of people's robes and thin shoes...

The sudden arrival of rain was like crying in the mortal world.

With the sound of rain as cover, the previously suppressed emotions of the students finally had a slight release, and faint sobbing sounds quietly arose.

Now, no soldier could sternly stop everyone and demand "silence."

Such is the path to fame, one must certainly walk through thorns.

Chen Xu's heart, however, was very calm, and the Innate Qi within him, which had been forcibly subdued, was now more active.

It's no surprise that some cultivation theories say, to transcend the mortal world, you must first immerse yourself in it.

Having not witnessed the famous turmoil and storms, how could one know that the world's bustle is no match for the tranquility found in cultivation?

The second exam period was very short, and everyone raced against time, answering questions quickly amid the sound of wind and rain.

The wind and rain ceased at dusk, leaving behind a night of silence and melancholy.

At the break of dawn the next day, another "Dong" of the bell resounded, and the third round of test papers was distributed!

This round contained nothing else, just a single examination composition.

As for the discourse, it would not appear in the prefectural exam but naturally in the academy exam.

Chen Xu unfolded the test paper to look at the question, suddenly feeling dizzy, and a vague shadow appeared before his eyes.

The shadow, semi-transparent, drifted like a wisp of smoke before Chen Xu, extending a pair of hazy hands, seemingly trying to cover his eyes.

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