Breaking with the Old

Just then, two Daoists arrived as streaks of light, landing before Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan. The older Daoist glanced at Wei Yuan, then at the booklet in his hand, and said, "Wei Yuan of Fengyuan Commandery. Identity verified. Take him to the dormitories!" Zhang Sheng was taken aback. "Why must he enter the dormitories right now?" Sun Yu, who had entered the immortal gate a step behind, appeared beside Zhang Sheng and said, "Don't fret, Junior Brother. Candidates from Fengyuan Commandery are numerous this year, so a special rule was established: the moment any candidate steps through the immortal gate, they must immediately lodge in the dormitories and have no further contact with outsiders until the examination concludes." Zhang Sheng looked at Sun Yu, then at the two Daoists, and then across the square at the countless celestial carriages and auspicious beasts. Thoughtful, he said gently to Wei Yuan, "Go on, then. Don't be afraid. Just show everything you've learned; your master will take care of the rest." Wei Yuan nodded firmly. Precocious from birth, he had already sensed something strange in the air. Zhang Sheng took a step back. The younger Daoist took Wei Yuan by the hand, his figure flickering, and vanished in an instant. The older Daoist ticked the name off in his booklet, offered an apology, and departed. Zhang Sheng let his gaze sweep slowly across the entire square. Though his Daoist power was sealed, his discerning eye remained intact. Merely by observing the appearances of the mounts and auspicious beasts, he could identify most of them. The flying skiffs and immortal carriages varied widely in design, but many bore family crests and clan insignias, most of which Zhang Sheng recognized as well. With just a glance, he spotted seven or eight illustrious carriages belonging either to eminent, aristocratic clans or to the descendants of sect leaders and elders from major immortal sects. The Eastern Sea's two nine-colored jewel deer wouldn't even rank in the top five here. Sun Yu said, "There's no need to overthink it, Junior Brother. You know the rules of the dormitories, and with Perfected cultivators and great Confucian scholars watching over everything right now, no one dares to tamper." Zhang Sheng replied indifferently, "No one dares to tamper? I doubt there are many who wouldn't dare!" Sun Yu acted as if he hadn't heard, adding, "We of the Palace of Grand Beginning aren't the only ones here this time. The Four Sages Academy and the Great Treasure Radiance Pure Land are here too." Zhang Sheng immediately recalled the many terrifying karmic destinies gathered above the Guishui Light-Merging Formation six years ago. Counting the six years that had passed, those karmic destinies ought to have begun fusing with individuals, giving rise to all manner of extraordinary talents. It seemed the almighty figures above had already divined this, which was why three of the four great immortal palaces had arrived, alongside countless grotto-heavens and blessed lands, all preparing to vie for the children of destiny. Yet at the thought of those karmic destinies, Zhang Sheng felt a strange twinge in his heart. If the immortal sects recruited these people, what would Prince Ji think if he found out? And what would Emperor Tang think? By now, the white jade skiff from the Eastern Sea had finally berthed. A procession filed down from the vessel, clustering around a boy like stars surrounding the moon. The boy was eight or nine years old, with dark skin, slightly curly hair, and tiny, pearlescent scales dotting his neck to protect his throat. His eyes were a bright amber. One look was enough to tell he possessed pure Eastern Sea bloodline, his amber eyes proof enough. Seeing the boy's appearance, Zhang Sheng's expression shifted, and he asked, "Was this child born in Fengyuan Commandery?" Regulations for the Immortal Sect Unified Examination had always stipulated that a candidate must have blood relatives within three generations who had lived in a given commandery to register there; otherwise, they were required to sit the examination in their ancestral home province. This rule had always been strictly enforced without exception. And the Eastern Sea was hundreds of thousands of li away from Yongzhou, if not a full million. It would be one thing if the Yan clan had sent a mixed-blood collateral scion, but how could a pure-blooded direct descendant have any connection to Fengyuan Commandery? Sun Yu, however, looked down at the tip of his nose, his voice devoid of any tremor. "He is indeed a native of Fengyuan Commandery." Zhang Sheng sneered. "The Yan clan of the Eastern Sea, the grand elder of the Clear Water Flowing Cup Sect, and the Junior Sage of Shiming Academy—the closest of them is nearly a million li from Fengyuan Commandery, and the farthest several million. And all three of them have blood relatives within three generations here?" Sun Yu sighed. "They do. It's just that I heard some of those blood relatives only returned to their ancestral lineages last month. But with both witnesses and documentary proof in order, they are all real blood relatives. You cannot overturn it, Junior Brother." Sun Yu put extra emphasis on the words 'real blood relatives.' For Sun Yu to speak so candidly was already remarkable; had these words reached the ears of the prominent noble clans involved, he would have made mortal enemies of them. Mockery surfaced on Zhang Sheng's face. He said slowly, "They're not even bothering to cover it up anymore?" Sun Yu sighed. "Hasn't it always been like this? Come with me to the Hall of Meditative Concentration first; it's easier to talk there. Besides, the examination regulations for Fengyuan Commandery have undergone drastic changes this time—they claim to be 'breaking with the old and ushering in the new.' You ought to give them a read too." Zhang Sheng stood motionless until he saw two Daoists lead away the boy from the Eastern Sea Yan clan as well. Only then did he depart with Sun Yu. The young Daoist led Wei Yuan to a picturesque valley. Rows of two-story buildings lined the valley floor, with all room doors opening onto corridors, each door bearing a number. The moment Wei Yuan stepped in, he saw a number light up. With a single stride, the young Daoist brought Wei Yuan before that room and said, "This is Number Seventy-Seven, which will be your code name throughout the examination. Before the tests begin, you may move freely within the dormitories, and you might encounter other candidates. You may converse, but remember: you must never reveal your identity or name. If discovered, you will be severely punished! Do you understand?" Wei Yuan nodded. The young Daoist pushed the door open and entered. The room was furnished simply yet elegantly: a bed, a desk, a chair, and a sandalwood stand holding an arm-length potted fruit tree laden with golden fruits, exuding a faint fragrance. "This is a Chonglou fruit tree. It can help clear your mind and steady your spirit. The fruits cannot be eaten; eating one means certain death." "This is a North Sea ice pear bed. Sleeping on it dispels inner demons and nourishes the origin soul. Since you haven't begun cultivating yet, you won't reap those benefits, but sleeping on it for two hours each day will fully restore your vigor." "This is a Heavenly Secret desk, this is a Li Fire inkstone, this is a Water Origin brush..." Having introduced the functions of each item in the room, the young Daoist said, "The examination regulations will be distributed at the hour of the rooster. Read them carefully so you aren't caught off guard. Tomorrow morning begins the Daoist test—be sure not to miss the appointed time." With those instructions given, the young Daoist pushed open the door and left. Wei Yuan suddenly noticed an extra booklet lying by the doorway, as though accidentally dropped by the young Daoist. Picking it up, he saw several characters written on the cover: *Regulations for the Great Tang Immortal Sect Apprentice Unified Examination*. These regulations were originally meant to be distributed at the hour of the rooster. It was only just past noon now, leaving a full four hours before the rooster hour. Wei Yuan understood that this was a small convenience secretly granted to him by the young Daoist. Wei Yuan sat before the desk and began leafing through the regulations. As he read on, surprise arose in him. The testing rules outlined in the booklet differed vastly from what Zhang Sheng had described. According to Zhang Sheng, the Immortal Sect Unified Examination consisted of two parts: the Daoist test and the literary test. The Daoist test evaluated one's innate talent, foundation for cultivation, and whether one was blessed with karmic destiny. The literary test assessed worldly affairs, including prose, history, policy discourse, and military strategy; typically, two or three topics were given, requiring an essay on each. The literary test did not merely evaluate accuracy; it also tested comprehension and insight. A candidate might take an unconventional or radical stance, but so long as they presented fresh, ingenious thinking and could justify their reasoning, they would earn bonus marks for comprehension. Yet in the booklet Wei Yuan held, it stated that this year's examination featured a martial test in addition to the Daoist and literary tests. The foundation and karmic destiny components originally evaluated under the Daoist test were also subdivided into finer categories with far more detailed tiers, each corresponding to specific scores. With the addition of the martial test, the proportion of each test toward the final evaluation became forty percent for the Daoist test, thirty percent for the literary test, and thirty percent for the martial test. Originally, the breakdown had been sixty percent Daoist and forty percent literary. The ratings for the three tests were no longer the vague past gradations of Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. Instead, a point system had taken their place: forty points for the Daoist test, thirty each for the literary and martial tests, totaling a maximum of one hundred points. Final rankings would be determined by the aggregate score. Zhang Sheng had previously remarked that Fengyuan Commandery was remote and had just suffered a massive catastrophe with countless deaths, so this year's candidates would number no more than twenty at most. Yet judging solely from the dormitory rooms, there were well over two hundred people here. From the fleeting glance he had caught after entering the immortal gate, Wei Yuan also knew that countless eminent figures had arrived—plainly all here for the examination. With the regulations overhauled and competition fiercer than ever before, Wei Yuan felt as though leaden clouds were beginning to gather overhead. Yet having studied under Zhang Sheng for three years, he had inherited a nature that grew bolder with every setback and thrived against the current. Faced with unprecedented pressure, Wei Yuan instead grew calm and composed, and began to study the regulations thoroughly. Just as Zhang Sheng had taught him: whenever a momentous matter arrives, one must maintain a calm spirit.