On the streets of Divine Capital City in the early morning, Li Qingxian swayed gently with his horse. "Our Eighth-Grade Cyan Cloud Examination is the same old three-part test," he said. "It’s very simple: fight a few Puppets, test your strength, and then a simple competition. But the Seventh-Grade Myriad Phenomena Cyan Cloud Examination is a different beast entirely. Baige, you can’t let your guard down."
Songg Baige said, "What can you do about it? No one knows where the Myriad Phenomena Map will open each time, and the rules are always made up on the spot. But you should be careful too. Don’t suffer an unexpected setback. Every year, there are highly favored candidates who end up stumbling."
"I know," said Li Qingxian. "That’s why I brought plenty of Talisman Paper. The moment the exam starts, I’ll start with Talisman Painting."
"You’re really something else," Songg Baige said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Qiu Ye laughed. "I actually think it’s a good idea. Better safe than sorry. As a Fate Master, Qingxian isn’t a natural fighter. He may have powerful Daoist Skills, but during the Cyan Cloud Examination and in actual combat, there’s just not enough time for him to set up an altar and perform a ritual. Spirit Talismans are much more practical."
The group chatted and laughed as they rode their horses out of the Divine Capital through the West Gate, slowly making their way to the examination grounds for the Lower-Grade Cyan Cloud Examination.
The procession was large and moved slowly. By noon, they had only traveled just over fifty li.
At lunchtime, the group halted on a patch of wasteland beside the main road. Everyone took out their prepared rations and cold food to eat.
Songg Baige and the others, however, were empty-handed and gathered around Li Qingxian.
"Our meals for the next few days are all on you," said Songg Baige.
Li Qingxian shot Songg Baige a look, then took out all sorts of food from his Qiankun Bracelet.
Having traveled all morning, everyone ate with great relish.
After eating, some rested while others walked around.
Li Qingxian looked around. Ever since the morning, a continuous stream of groups participating in the Cyan Cloud Examination had been passing by.
At that moment, hundreds of teams were scattered across the wastelands on both sides of the main road.
Li Qingxian sat idly while Songg Baige went around greeting other teams of scholars. Meanwhile, Qiu Ye and his companions went to greet some Martial Cultivators and Nobility.
Before long, Songg Baige returned, his face dark.
"What’s wrong?" Li Qingxian asked, surprised.
Songg Baige sighed and pointed to a desolate area a few li away. "Don’t you find it strange?" he said. "This is all flat land, no mountains or ravines. It should be a prime resting spot on the main road, yet there isn’t even a single village or town. Doesn’t that seem wrong?"
Li Qingxian looked in the direction Songg Baige was pointing. In the distance, he could faintly make out overgrown weeds and some crumbling walls, what looked like the ruins of a deserted town.
"Is that Depu?" Li Qingxian asked, realization dawning on him.
Songg Baige nodded. "Some people are already paying their respects."
Li Qingxian looked closer and saw dozens of people facing the direction of Depu, burning paper money and incense.
"Hm?" Li Qingxian noticed that while Han Anbo wasn’t burning paper or incense, he was standing not far from the others, quietly gazing toward Depu.
Li Qingxian recalled that Han Anbo had been standing there ever since they finished eating.
Songg Baige said, "Depu was a sizable town. That day happened to be the big market day, and many families from nearby, even from the Divine Capital, had brought their children out to have fun. Who would have known... sigh. In the end, the Imperial Court had to use the Jade Seal itself to suppress the Dead Demon Land. Otherwise, the disaster would have certainly spread to the Capital City."
"Didn’t anyone from the Demon Sect take responsibility?"
"Of course they did. A bunch of Middle- and Low-Grade members were beheaded. As for the big shots? A slap on the wrist. A few years later, they were reinstated, and now they hold high positions in the court," Songg Baige sneered.
Li Qingxian gazed at the Depu Ruins, where gravestones were barely visible and broken walls were overgrown with weeds. He sighed softly. "That place... it’s a lot like the Deceit Village I encountered."
Every hair on Songg Baige’s body stood on end. He clapped a hand over Li Qingxian’s mouth and hissed, "Are you crazy? How dare you mention that word so close to a Dead Demon Land?"
Li Qingxian jumped in fright. Then, he pointed at the sun high in the sky and pried Songg Baige’s hand away. "It’s broad daylight. It’s fine to talk about this stuff."
"Still not okay!" Songg Baige’s expression was grave.
"Alright, I’ll be more careful from now on," Li Qingxian said.
Songg Baige sighed. "You’re still young. You don’t understand how difficult this world is. It never hurts to be a little more cautious."
Li Qingxian nodded.
After a while, the various teams began to get up and move on.
「As evening approached, the procession arrived before a range of rolling green hills.」
The main peak of Qingyun Mountain was only a little over a hundred meters high. It stretched westward in a series of orderly rises and falls, covered in dense, verdant trees, resembling a great green ox.
At the foot of the mountain, the water was clear and the grass was lush. Vast expanses of green pasture spread out like a carpet.
Rows of houses built for the Cyan Cloud Examination stood in dense clusters, forming a small town.
Holding their examination tokens, everyone made their way to their assigned lodgings.
Thanks to a friend in the Ministry of Rites whom they had contacted beforehand, Li Qingxian, Songg Baige, and their group of friends and acquaintances were all assigned to the Chenyi Building in Zone B7.
The group, with their attendants and horses, came to a stop in front of the Chenyi Building.
It was a two-story, unpainted wooden building surrounded by weeds. Swallow nests were built under the eaves, and clusters of wood ear mushrooms hung from the wooden railings.
Songg Baige sighed. "The Divine Capital is truly brimming with talent. People would fight tooth and nail for a spot in a Chenzi Building in Zone A, but still can’t get in."
"The ’Chen’ character is associated with dragons. It’s good enough that we get to stay in a Chenzi Building at all. Let’s go in," said Qiu Ye.
Li Qingxian shared a room with Songg Baige, and Qiu Ye shared one with Wang Buku. The other examinees went to their respective rooms.
The attendants who had accompanied them began setting up tents.
After cleaning their rooms, Songg Baige and the others led the group of Eighth-Grade examinees, with Li Qingxian at its head, to the examination grounds to familiarize themselves with the rules.
「Near midnight, the group returned.」
「At cockcrow, the residential area of the examination grounds was already bustling with activity.」
The Eighth-Grade examinees and their friends and families began their final preparations.
Li Qingxian ate a hot breakfast and, surrounded by his companions, headed for the examination grounds.
By the time the dew had evaporated from the blades of grass, they had arrived at the main entrance to the examination grounds.
A row of wooden fences stood on the grass, separating the area from the outside.
Dozens of gates were set into openings in the fence, each manned by brightly armored guards and officials from the Ministry of Rites who were responsible for inspections.
Long lines of examinees, numbering in the tens of thousands, were queued up before each gate.
Li Qingxian bid farewell to his friends. Dressed in a black, short-robed outfit suitable for combat, he joined the other Eighth-Grade examinees in line at one of the gates.
The men in front of and behind Li Qingxian were all his brothers from the Night Guard.
"Li Ke, take it easy on us, will you? Leave some face for the rest of us."
"Yeah, I saw you last night. Your Talismanic Daoist Skill is just too incredible."
Li Qingxian smiled. "This is the Cyan Cloud Examination. No one knows what might happen. If someone tries to cause trouble, I’ll probably be the first one eliminated."
"No way. As long as we Night Guard brothers are here, if anyone dares to mess with you, we’ll stop them, even if it means giving up on this year’s exam."
"That’s right. If we don’t pass this year, we can just try again next year. But we can’t let someone ruin the future of a Night Guard brother."
"It’s not every day our Night Guard produces a Fate Master like you. We can’t let some Little Demon harm you."
The Junior Eighth Grade examinees from the Night Guard chattered among themselves, some of them deliberately raising their voices for the members of the Demon Sect to hear.
Li Qingxian thanked his Night Guard brothers and looked around.
The line moved forward slowly. The first examinees to enter had already begun the test.
Up ahead on the grassy field, hundreds of Puppets stood waiting. Numerous examinees were already engaged in battle with them.
Some examinees advanced with smiles, while others were defeated by the Puppets, leaving the examination grounds in tears.
Li Qingxian silently used the method Jiangg Youfei had taught him, replaying the entire examination process in his mind and visualizing how he would take the test.