In the grand hall of the Literature Palace, Lin Huang turned a blind eye to Qii Lie’s smile. After staring at the exam paper before him for a long while, he picked up his brush and dipped it in ink. He began to write, his movements as smooth as flowing water!
In the East Palace Crown Prince’s Mansion.
Crown Prince Lingyun was lounging leisurely. Beside him, a beautiful woman lay seductively, her curvaceous body pressed tightly against him. Under her sheer dress, her snow-white skin was faintly visible. With her fiery red lips, she wrapped around the Crown Prince like a water snake.
Crown Prince Lingyun boldly caressed the stunner beside him and opened his mouth to sip the fine wine she offered, wearing a nonchalant yet wicked smile.
Before them, Ling Huangyi stood with a face full of indifference, turning a blind eye to Crown Prince Lingyun’s actions.
"I have to thank you this time, Third Brother. Even though Lin Huang made it in time for the second round of the assessment, he is destined to fail," Crown Prince Lingyun said with a smile. "I’m sure he will be completely dumbfounded when he sees his exam paper."
Standing in the hall, Ling Huangyi chuckled. "Swapping his exam paper is merely the first step. It’s nothing too brilliant."
"Oh? Is there something I don’t know?" Crown Prince Lingyun sat up, asking in confusion.
"That exam paper was coated with Thousand Shadows Illusion Liquid. When Lin Huang received the paper, he saw one set of questions. However, after he hands it in, the Thousand Shadows Illusion Liquid will dissipate, and the questions will revert to the same ones everyone else had.
"For a nobody like him, all it takes is a little trick to ensure he never rises again." Ling Huangyi’s calm voice carried a heavy tone of disdain.
He was a Sect disciple; how could a mere Dynasty playboy like Lin Huang compare to him?
"Brilliant!" Crown Prince Lingyun exclaimed in admiration, kneading the woman’s chest.
"Even if he is proficient in Martial Arts theory and can solve those difficult questions, the questions will have changed. He will naturally get them all wrong!" Crown Prince Lingyun laughed wildly. "Now, no matter what, Lin Huang won’t be able to pass the second round of the assessment!"
Ling Huangyi smiled faintly, a trace of viciousness flickering in his calm eyes. He thought, "Lin Cangxue, back then you always suppressed me, ignoring and humiliating me time and time again. Since you are in the Piaoxue Palace and I can’t deal with you, I’ll start with your younger brother."
In the grand hall of the Literature Palace, the Martial Arts theory assessment had been going on for three hours. Many had begun to feel tired, but they continued answering the questions meticulously, afraid to make even the slightest mistake. Lin Huang was no exception!
Only one person was different...
"SNORE... SNORE... Little Cui, here I come... SNORE... You blind bastard, daring to provoke me..."
In the quiet hall, thunderous snoring had started at some point, accompanied by a few mutters of sleep-talking filled with laughing and cursing.
Fatty Bai was sprawled over his desk, his head resting on the ink-filled inkstone as he slept soundly. From time to time, he stuck out his tongue to lick the ink, likely mistaking it for fine wine.
The Four Sect Elders looked at Fatty Bai’s display with looks of utter helplessness.
Qii Lie, in particular, was so angry his beard was trembling. "I’ve already given you the answers! Is it really that hard to just copy them down?" He thought, "Can you be just a bit more hardworking than a pig?"
Shen Diexin, however, focused her attention on Lin Huang. She watched as he finished answering the last question, paused his brush, smiled with satisfaction, and then closed his exam paper.
Beneath Hann Shan’s calm expression, a mocking smile emerged. He thought, "You think you have everything in the bag, but little do you know, the true result will plunge you into the abyss."
As time passed and the sun set behind the western mountains, the second round of the Four Great Sects’ selection gradually came to an end.
After the names on all the exam papers were sealed with strips of paper, the Four Sect Elders shuffled the papers to mess up the order and then began grading them. The grades were divided into Fourth Levels: A, B, C, and D. Double A was the highest, and Double D was the lowest, making a total of sixteen tiers across the Fourth Levels.
Under the cross-evaluation by the four Grand Elders, the grade evaluations for the three hundred exam papers were completely finished in less than an hour.
Outside the Literature Palace, the crowd was already overflowing as everyone waited anxiously.
"I really hope I can make the list this time. Otherwise, I’ll have to wait another three years for the next Four Sects’ selection!"
"I wonder who will take the top spot this time?"
"I suppose it should be either Ming Ao or Lu Wuji."
The crowd discussed the results of the second round fervently. The ones most likely to claim the top spot were naturally the two with the highest Realms among them. Ming Ao and Lu Wuji!
A higher Realm largely indicated richer cultivation experience. Therefore, their understanding of Martial Arts theory was naturally highly likely to be the most profound.
At the front of the crowd, Lu Wuji’s expression was indifferent, showing neither sorrow nor joy. Ming Ao, however, had the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, unable to hide his inner pride and delight. He was entirely confident he would top the list. His blue robe was exceptionally eye-catching among the crowd.
He then turned his head and shot a dark glance at Lin Huang. He still remembered his deal with Crown Prince Lingyun—a trade for an Earth Element Pill, which he couldn’t refuse no matter what. An Earth Element Pill could increase the chances of breaking through to the Earth Element Realm to eighty percent upon consumption! Every time he thought about breaking through to the Earth Element Realm, his heart filled with immense excitement.
"Boss Lin, I’m hungry. How about we go get something to eat?"
In the crowd, Fatty Bai sighed, looking pitifully at Lin Huang, his stomach already GROWLING like thunder. If he went more than half an hour without eating, he would be as hungry as a stray dog. What’s more, they had spent a full four hours in the Literature Palace today.
"I’ll treat you to Tianxiang Tower later," Lin Huang said calmly, looking at the slowly opening doors of the Literature Palace. Before Fatty Bai could jump for joy, he added, "You pay the bill!"
"They’re coming out! They’re coming out!"
Seeing the four Grand Elders walking over slowly, the crowd instantly boiled over. Their appearance signaled that the results of the second round of the assessment were out.
Everyone’s eyes fell on the Four Great Sects’ Elders, filled with eagerness and excitement. They knew that within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, a portion of the young Martial Artists would be eliminated. At the same time, another portion would step closer to the Four Great Sects.
"Luu Mingke, Double C!"
"Xun Mei, Double B!"
The Four Sect Elders didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. They directly tore the seals off the exam papers one by one, loudly reading out the names of the Martial Artists and their grades.
As the Four Sect Elders’ voices rang out, a screen of light on the massive stone stele to the left of the Literature Palace flared, shimmering with streaks of flowing light. The Martial Artists’ names and grades simultaneously appeared on the light screen, ranked from highest to lowest. The glowing, floating characters looked exceptionally dazzling under the setting sun, shining brilliantly as if rimmed with gold.
As the results were progressively revealed, quite a commotion stirred in the crowd. Naturally, some were overjoyed while others were dismayed. Although the full results had not yet appeared and the final rankings could not be set in stone, people could already make their guesses. Sometimes, however, the exam grades were enough to determine the outcome.
Those who started with a C or D had almost no hope. Meanwhile, those who started with an A were as steady as Mount Taishan.
"Ge Sifang, A and D."
"Liu Chuiyun, B and A."
"Lu Wuji, A and B!"
When Lu Wuji’s name was read, the expressions of the crowd clearly jolted. "As expected of one of the rare Human Element Ninth Heaven experts just beneath the Earth Element Realm, he actually got an A and B."
Above an A and B, there was only the existence of a Double A.
"I wonder if there will be a Double A this time!"
"Hmph, how could it be that easy? In the Great Xia Dynasty over the past thirty years, only Lin Cangxue has received such an honor!"
"A Double A requires a perfect score to be awarded."
The crowd discussed fervently, talking about Lu Wuji and also Lin Cangxue—a prodigy of the Great Xia Dynasty’s younger generation whom no one could overlook.
Lin Huang pursed his lips, his desire to head to the Piaoxue Palace growing ever more urgent. He thought, "I wonder how my sister is doing in the Piaoxue Palace? I suppose..."
Lin Huang shook his head dejectedly.
"Ming Ao, A and B!"
"Fatty Bai, Double B!"
As Qii Lie coldly spat out those words, the crowd froze once more.
"A second A and B!"
"These two are indeed the Twin Heroes of the Human Element Realm. To think they are neck and neck, both reaching the level of A and B!" The crowd was deeply shaken. Those ordinary-sounding letters carried immense weight.
In the past thirty years, apart from Lin Cangxue who had achieved a Double A once, no more than ten young Martial Artists in the Dynasty had ever obtained an A and B. Yet today, two had appeared at the same time!
Everyone couldn’t help but rest their eyes on Ming Ao and Lu Wuji. They thought, "The families these two come from aren’t very prominent. Perhaps it’s time to set aside our status and befriend them." Given this trend, their future achievements would be limitless!
Aside from the crowd’s shock, the participating young Martial Artists were quite astonished by another matter. They stared at Fatty Bai’s name on the light screen in sheer disbelief!
"I... wasn’t I sleeping the whole damn time? How the hell did I get a Double B?" Fatty Bai looked completely bewildered.
"This guy who was snoring like thunder? A Double B?"
"I worked my ass off writing for four hours just to get a B and D, and he gets a Double B just by sleeping?"
Lin Huang glanced at the expressionless four Grand Elders and clicked his tongue inwardly. He thought, "You guys are truly something else!" Lin Huang mused that if Fatty Bai hadn’t been sleeping, his results might have gone straight for a Double A.
At the front, the Elders of the Four Great Sects exchanged a tacit understanding glance. Having recognized Fatty Bai’s talent, they were determined to make him pass the assessment. He absolutely had to pass! Even if he didn’t end up joining their Sects in the end, it wouldn’t be too late to eliminate him then. But the most important thing right now was to ensure this kid passed the Sect selection. The only other person they’d seen with such talent was Lin Cangxue back in her time.
Fatty Bai’s eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped!
He really wanted to charge up, spit in the faces of the Four Sect Elders, and roar, "I literally just slept! How the hell did I get a Double B? You’re helping me cheat like this—do you have no shame? I don’t give a rat’s ass about your Four Great Sects! Can you stop being so pathetic?
"You’re forcing an honest man into prostitution!
"Doesn’t your conscience hurt?"
But ultimately, Fatty Bai held back. Although he was a brainless playboy, he still had some sense of proportion. If he went up and threw a cursing fit, the Minister of the Ministry of War’s Mansion would likely suffer endless repercussions. He thought, "Forget it. I don’t believe this. If I just immediately surrender in the third round of the competition, what else can you do? Hmph, watch me!" Fatty Bai swore inwardly.
Meanwhile, no one in the crowd questioned Fatty Bai’s grade. Even though they knew full well it was cheating, they wouldn’t say it out loud. Once spoken, it would mean utterly disrespecting the Four Great Sects. No one could bear that consequence! Not even the entire Great Xia Dynasty.
As time slipped by, the reading of the exam grades was nearing its end, and the rankings on the stone stele’s light screen were stabilizing. Ming Ao and Lu Wuji were impressively tied at the top of the list.
And in the hands of the Four Sect Elders, only one exam paper remained...
In the crowd, Lin Huang looked up, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Qii Lie and Hann Shan also smiled. They were certain that since Lin Huang’s name hadn’t been called out yet, this final paper naturally belonged to him. The grade on that exam paper would be his death knell. To think this kid was still so full of confidence even now.
Beside them, the corners of Shen Diexin’s mouth similarly curved up slightly beneath her icy demeanor. Then, with a flick of her jade-like fingers, she tore open the seal on the exam paper...