Longzang

Chapter 6 Reform and Innovation
At this moment, two Taoist priests appeared in a beam of light and landed in front of Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan. The older Taoist priest glanced at Wei Yuan, then at the book in his hand, and said, "Wei Yuan of Fengyuan County, confirmed to be correct, take him to his quarters!"

Zhang Sheng was taken aback and asked, "Why do we have to go into the dormitory now?"

Sun Yu entered the Immortal Gate a step later and appeared beside Zhang Sheng, saying, "Junior brother, don't rush. There are many candidates in Fengyuan County this year, so a special rule has been set: all candidates must immediately move into their dormitories once they enter the Immortal Gate and are not allowed to communicate with outsiders until the exam is over."

Zhang Sheng glanced at Sun Yu, then at the two Taoists, and then at the countless auspicious beasts of the Immortal Continent in the square. He seemed to be deep in thought, and said gently to Wei Yuan, "Then go. Don't be afraid. Just do your best to demonstrate what you've learned. I'll take care of everything else."

Wei Yuan nodded vigorously. He was precocious and had already sensed that something was amiss in the atmosphere.

Zhang Sheng took a step back, and the young Taoist priest grabbed Wei Yuan, their figures flashing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. The older Taoist priest made a checkmark in the book, apologized, and left.

Zhang Sheng's gaze slowly swept across the entire square.

Although his Dao power was sealed, his vision remained, and he could recognize most of the mounts and auspicious beasts just by looking at their appearance. Although there were many styles of flying boats and immortal carriages, most of them had family crests and clan emblems on their bodies, which Zhang Sheng also recognized. Just by looking, he saw seven or eight illustrious vehicles, either from some high-ranking family or descendants of some sect leader or elder of a major immortal sect.

The two nine-colored treasure deer from the East Sea wouldn't even crack the top five here.

Sun Yu said, "Junior brother, don't worry. You know the rules of the dormitory. Besides, with a great Confucian scholar watching over us, no one would dare to do anything wrong."

Zhang Sheng said calmly, "No one dares to tamper with things? I'm afraid there are very few people who wouldn't dare!"

Sun Yu pretended not to hear and said, "This time, it's not just our Taichu Palace that's here, but also the Four Saints Academy and the Great Treasure Flower Pure Land."

Zhang Sheng immediately recalled the terrifying aura surrounding the Water-Water Convergence Array six years ago. Six years had passed; this aura should have begun to resonate with people, giving rise to numerous extraordinary individuals. It seemed the powerful beings above had foreseen this, hence the presence of three from each of the four great immortal palaces, along with numerous blessed lands and grotto-heavens, all vying for the chosen one of destiny.

Just thinking about those energies made Zhang Sheng feel a little strange. He wondered what Prince Ji would think, and what Emperor Tang would think, if the Immortal Sect summoned these people back.

At this moment, the white jade boat from the East Sea finally came to a stop, and a group of people filed off, surrounding a young boy like stars around the moon. The boy was about eight or nine years old, with dark skin, slightly curly hair, and a few fine pearl-colored scales on his neck protecting his throat. His pupils were bright amber. This boy was clearly of pure East Sea blood; his eyes were proof enough.

Upon seeing the boy's appearance, Zhang Sheng's expression changed, and he asked, "Is this a native of Fengyuan County?"

The Immortal Sect's unified examination has always stipulated that candidates must have blood relatives within three generations residing in a certain prefecture in order to take the exam in that prefecture; otherwise, they must take the exam in their original prefecture. This rule has always been strictly enforced without exception. The East Sea is at least hundreds of thousands of miles from Yongzhou, if not a million. It's understandable for a member of the Yan family to be a collateral relative, but how could a pure-blooded direct descendant be associated with Fengyuan Prefecture?
But Sun Yu stared at the tip of his nose, his voice unwavering: "He is indeed a native of Feng Yuanjun."

Zhang Sheng sneered: "The Yan family of Donghai, the Grand Elder of the Biyue Liushang Sect, and the Little Sage of Shiming Academy—these three families are located within three generations of each other, some nearly a million miles from Fengyuan County, and others several million miles away."

Sun Yu sighed and said, "They all exist. It's just that I heard some blood relatives only recognized their ancestors last month. But there are both witnesses and physical evidence, so those are real blood relatives, and you can't change that, Junior Brother."

Sun Yu emphasized the phrase "true blood relatives." It was already quite difficult for Sun Yu to put himself in this position; if these words were heard by the relevant powerful clans, it would be a grave offense.

Zhang Sheng's face showed a sneer as he slowly said, "Aren't you even going to cover it up?"

Sun Yu sighed: "Isn't this always the case? Come with me to the Qianxin Hall first; it'll be easier to talk there. Also, the regulations for the unified examination in Fengyuan County have been drastically changed this time, supposedly to reform and innovate. You should read them too."

Zhang Sheng stood still until he saw the two Taoist priests also taking away the young man from the Yan family of the East Sea, before he and Sun Yu left.

The young Taoist priest led Wei Yuan to a scenic valley. The valley contained rows of two-story buildings, all with doors opening onto the corridors, each door marked with a number. As soon as Wei Yuan entered, he saw one of the numbers light up.

The young Taoist priest led Wei Yuan out to the room in one step and said, "This is number seventy-seven. This will be your code name during the unified examination. Before the exam, you are free to move around in your dormitory. You may encounter other candidates. Communication is allowed, but remember not to reveal your identity or name. If discovered, you will be severely punished! Got it?"

Wei Yuan nodded.

The young Taoist priest pushed open the door and entered. The room was simply but exquisitely furnished, with a bed, a table, a chair, and a sandalwood flower stand with a fruit tree the size of an arm on it, laden with golden fruit that emitted a faint fragrance.

"This is a Paris polyphylla tree. It can help you clear your mind and stabilize your spirit. The fruit is inedible; eating it will surely lead to death."

"This is the Beihai Ice Pear Bed. Sleeping on it can dispel inner demons and nourish your primordial spirit. You haven't cultivated yet, so you can't get these benefits. But sleeping on this bed for an hour every day can replenish your energy."

"This is the Heavenly Secret Case, this is the Fire-Separating Inkstone, this is the Water-Element Brush..."

After explaining the function of each item in the room, the young Taoist priest said, "The unified examination regulations will be issued at 5:00 PM. Read them carefully so you won't be caught off guard. The Taoist test is tomorrow morning, so don't be late."

After giving his instructions, the young Taoist priest pushed open the door and left.

Wei Yuan suddenly noticed a book at the doorway, seemingly left behind by the young Taoist priest. He picked it up and saw the words "Regulations for the Unified Examination of Disciples of the Great Tang Immortal Sect" written on the cover.

The regulations were originally scheduled to be issued at 5 PM, but it was only past noon, two full hours before 5 PM. Wei Yuan understood that this was a small favor secretly granted by the young Taoist.

Wei Yuan sat down at the desk and began to read the regulations. As he read, he became somewhat surprised. The examination rules in the regulations were quite different from what Zhang Sheng had described.

According to Zhang Sheng, the Immortal Sect's unified examination consists of two parts: the Daoist test and the literary test. The Daoist test assesses one's innate talent and foundation in cultivation, as well as whether one possesses the blessings of good fortune. The literary test examines various aspects of human life, including literature, history, policy essays, military strategy, and so on. Generally, two or three questions are given, and an essay is required for each question.

The written test is not just about the accuracy of the answers, but also about comprehension. A candidate may have an extreme viewpoint, but as long as they can come up with a unique and coherent argument, they can earn points for comprehension.

However, the regulations in Wei Yuan's hand stated that in addition to the Daoist test and the literary test, this year's test would also include a martial arts test. The Daoist test, which originally examined one's foundation and fortune, was also divided into more detailed grades, each with corresponding scores.

Because of the addition of the martial arts test, the proportion of each test in the overall evaluation has changed to 40% for the Taoist test, 30% for the literary test, and 30% for the martial arts test. The original proportion was 60% for the Taoist test and 40% for the literary test.

The rating system for the three tests is no longer the vague three-tier system of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Instead, it is based on a point system: 40 points for the Taoist test, 30 points each for the literary and martial tests, and a total of 100 points to determine the ranking.

Zhang Sheng had previously mentioned that Fengyuan County was remote and had just suffered a major disaster with countless deaths, so there would be no more than twenty candidates this year. However, judging from the dormitory rooms alone, there were more than two hundred people. A fleeting glimpse upon entering the Immortal Gate revealed to Wei Yuan that numerous prominent figures had arrived, clearly all there for the unified examination.

With the rules drastically revised and the competition fiercer than ever before, Wei Yuan vaguely felt a cloud gathering overhead. However, having studied under Zhang Sheng for three years, he had inherited a resilient and courageous nature, always striving against the odds. Faced with this immense pressure, Wei Yuan calmed down and began to carefully study the rules.

Just as Zhang Sheng taught, one must remain calm in the face of important matters.

(End of this chapter)