The four Upper-Grade examiners stood their ground. One watched Li Qingxian while the other three faced away, looking in different directions.
The three examiners seemed to casually glance at the few candidates from the Demon Sect Evil Faction.
One of the Demon Sect candidates hurriedly said to another, "On the examination grounds, you must not ruin another’s future."
The other candidate was baffled. ’Weren’t we supposed to obstruct the Literary Cultivators, especially Li Qingxian?’ He turned his head and saw the cold gaze of an Upper-Grade examiner sweeping over him, and his legs began to tremble.
"You’re right!" that Demon Sect candidate hastily agreed.
Within his Spirit Platform, the four Children and the Thunder Dragon Fire Seal devoured and expelled thunderbolts and Magical Power, causing his Magical Power to climb steadily.
Before long, Li Qingxian’s Magical Power was fully replenished.
Just as he was about to leave his Spirit Platform, he suddenly sensed a streak of light fly over and land in his Life Mansion.
Li Qingxian felt a slight daze, and for some reason, he recalled the scene of the first time he had purchased fates.
Thinking back carefully, nothing particularly strange had happened that day. He had just bought many Destiny Stars, arranged for those people to be moved to better prisons, and rescued Shenn Goudan.
But those Destiny Stars had either been consumed as bait or sacrificed to the Yellow Springs Emperor. Their Destiny Stars had long since vanished from his Life Mansion.
Curious, Li Qingxian entered his Life Mansion.
The rockery was unchanged, the Life Pool was unchanged, and the Life Mansion itself was unchanged.
’Then what was that...?’
Li Qingxian looked up at the Life Cloud hanging in the sky of his Life Mansion.
The white cloud had originally been completely empty. Li Qingxian had long since given up hope, resigned to the fact that he was fated never to obtain as many reserve Destiny Stars as Ye Han.
But now, a Destiny Star was sitting upon it, glittering with a rich golden light.
Li Qingxian’s eyes widened.
’What did I do to actually get a Destiny Star?’
’Was it my good exam results? Impossible. The competition isn’t over yet. If I could get a Destiny Star just for this, I’d be flooded with them in the future. The chances of that are slim.’
’Then what was it? Because... I killed that Demon Fiend and received a reward from the Celestial Dao?’
’That’s more likely, but it still doesn’t feel right. Still, I can try killing more Demon Fiends in the future to test it.’
’Is it related to my purchasing of fates? I’ll have to investigate when I get back.’
Li Qingxian made some quick inferences but came up with nothing, so he examined the Destiny Star closely.
Within the Destiny Star, a thousand-zhang-tall mountain rose from the ground. Fine motes of dust, seemingly as insignificant as ordinary dust, continuously fell from the mountain.
Human Destiny Star: Accumulated Soil to Mountain.
Li Qingxian took a deep breath.
’What great deed did I perform to deserve such a valuable Treasure?’
Accumulated Soil to Mountain was an Upper-Grade Fate Grid, on par with A Drop of Water Becomes a Lake. If he possessed both at the same time, the effects would be magnified by an unknown number of times.
Accumulated Soil to Mountain and A Drop of Water Becomes a Lake were not originally the most precious of Fate Grids. However, if they were continuously accumulated and strengthened, their ultimate achievements would be no less than any of the most noble Fate Grids.
When developed to their peak, they would be even stronger than, and in no way weaker than, Ye Han’s Sun and Moon Ascending or his own Sunlight on Golden Mountain.
This was because most of the extremely noble Fate Grids had a single function and a fixed upper limit.
But Accumulated Soil to Mountain and A Drop of Water Becomes a Lake, in theory, had no upper limit.
However, even if a Destiny Star descended upon their Life Cloud, it was of little use to an ordinary person, as most people could not control their Destiny Stars.
But Li Qingxian was a Fate Master.
Without a second thought, Li Qingxian used the simplest Star Attraction Skill. Consuming only a tiny amount of Magical Power, he pointed a finger, and the Destiny Star plunged into his Life Mansion, landing within his Adolescent Life Land.
At this moment, his Adolescent Life Land possessed a total of three Human Destiny Stars: A Drop of Water Becomes a Lake, Accumulated Soil to Mountain, and Incisive Analysis.
The instant Accumulated Soil to Mountain settled as a Destiny Star, Li Qingxian felt a profound and heavy aura suddenly fill his Life Mansion. At the same time, the Sunlight on Golden Mountain in his Youth Life Land seemed to have swallowed a Great Replenishing Pill, its starlight shining with dazzling brilliance.
The light surrounding the small, dilapidated shack gradually intensified, its aura growing stronger.
Li Qingxian smiled faintly. ’This means my Life Mansion’s power has grown stronger.’
Although the small, dilapidated shack itself was very weak, good Destiny Stars could slowly strengthen the entire Life Mansion.
At almost the same time, Li Qingxian, whether influenced by Accumulated Soil to Mountain or simply not wanting to waste this Upper-Grade Destiny Star, resolved to redouble his cultivation efforts in the future and constantly improve himself.
’A good omen. I need to find some time to refine the Marquis’s Golden Seal that Uncle Zhou gave me.’
Three days ago, Zhou Chunfeng had given him a Marquis’s Golden Seal from a previous dynasty. Li Qingxian had stored it in his Qiankun Bracelet, planning to merge it with one of his Life Artifacts to refine it into an Upper-Grade item.
However, having only one left him paralyzed by indecision.
In theory, his core Life Artifact was the Destiny Fishing Rod. But its function was too singular. Even if he raised it to Upper Grade, his Cultivation level couldn’t keep up, making its effects uncertain. It might just let him fish a little faster.
But if he refined the Great Cutting Sword to Upper Grade, its power would be tangible and real. If he ever encountered an Astrology-related problem he couldn’t solve, he could just sever it with one strike. Then he could fight if he could win, or run if he couldn’t.
After all, it was a Great Inheritance from the Celestial Fate Sect, its power was unparalleled.
’I’ll wait. I’ll make a decision after I go to Jiangnan and get settled.’ Li Qingxian still couldn’t make up his mind.
Opening his eyes, Li Qingxian froze.
"You’re awake?"
"Yes." Li Qingxian scrambled to his feet.
Among the four Upper-Grade examiners—two Literary Cultivators, one Martial Cultivator, and one Daoist Cultivator—none of them said a word. They simply gave him a slight smile before rising into the air and leaving the third examination hall.
Seeing Li Qingxian’s confused expression, the examiner for this round said, "The four sirs were afraid you might have an accident, so they stood guard here."
Li Qingxian immediately bowed in the direction the four Upper-Grade examiners had departed, just as an ordinary scholar would, and said, "I, Li Qingxian, thank the four honored tutors for the grace of their protection."
When the other candidates heard this, some didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, while others gave him a thumbs-up.
That was a classy move.
Whether they acknowledged it or not, Li Qingxian had declared them his tutors. That connection was better than nothing.
The examiner spoke again. "Your third round is over, also with a grade of Super Armor. Please proceed to the Grand Arena. After the top ten are decided, the final ranking battles will begin. The four chief examiners have already designated you as the Aoshou for this Eighth-Grade Cyan Cloud Examination. As long as no one else challenges you, you will receive an official investiture from the Imperial Court."
"And if they do challenge me?"
"They would have to sign a Life and Death Contract. If they defeat you, they will become the Eighth-Grade Cyan Cloud Aoshou," the examiner said.
"I see."
The examiner escorted Li Qingxian to the edge of the Grand Arena, whispering as they walked, "You must seize this opportunity and not be careless. If you can become the Eighth-Grade Aoshou, you will certainly be rewarded by the Imperial Court. There are usually three rewards: a blessing of Qi Fortune, a Qi Fortune Treasure, and an actual official post. A Seventh-Grade Cyan Cloud Examination Champion Scholar would additionally be granted a noble title and a poem from a Grand Scholar."
Li Qingxian thought that the Qi Fortune blessing wouldn’t be much, and he didn’t care about an official post, so he asked, "What kind of Qi Fortune Treasures are given?"
"Usually, they bestow a Qi Fortune Fish Pouch; that’s the most common. Besides that, there are Qi Fortune Official Robes, Official Hats, Official Boots, and so on. But the most valuable is the Qi Fortune Official Seal. That is generally only granted to Upper-Grade officials, rarely to Middle or Lower-Grade ones."
"Mm, I’ve heard of it. The Qi Fortune Official Seal is connected to the National Guardian Jade Seal and can mobilize a region’s National Fortune. Typically, only the heads of various ministries and provinces possess one. It’s said that if a provincial governor wields a Qi Fortune Official Seal, even a Second-Grade official can display the power of a First-Grade," Li Qingxian said.
"Correct. The reason our River Guard Army to the north can stand against the powerful Demon Race is in large part due to the Qi Fortune Official Seals. Some even say that if you were to assign ten points of merit for resisting the Demon Race, the Qi Fortune Official Seals would account for five of them," the examiner said.