The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

During their time together, Xue Jin, though seemingly rough and unrefined, repeatedly came to his aid in times of crisis, acting as both a mentor and a friend.

Xue Jin looked at Jiang Xuan, and unusually, she didn't speak casually, but instead spoke solemnly.

"Young man, you have great talent and a good character. You have a long road ahead of you. Remember, for cultivators, possessing power also means taking on responsibility. The empire supports our cultivation not so that we can just enjoy ourselves."

Jiang Xuan nodded without saying anything more.

He simply picked up the wine jar, tilted his head back, and took a swig.

The spicy liquid slid down my throat, leaving a burning sensation.

The two sat facing each other, drinking in silence, the starlight spilling into the courtyard, creating a somewhat heavy atmosphere.

……

As the provincial examination drew ever closer, the entire city of Yanxia became increasingly lively, even bustling.

Young cultivators from all the cities in the prefecture flocked to the area, and all the inns in the city were already fully booked, with prices rising several times over, yet it was still difficult to find a room.

Everywhere on the streets, you can see young people with impressive bearing, either practicing martial arts alone or exchanging information in groups of three or five.

Many large and small forces also sent people to lobby around, trying to win over those contestants who seemed to have potential, and promising them all sorts of favorable conditions.

Finally, the day of the assessment arrived.

As dawn broke, the city of Yanxia was already bustling with activity.

Countless people converged on Yanxia Academy in the city center.

The cultivators participating in the assessment, their relatives and friends who came to watch the battle, representatives of various forces, and ordinary people who were simply there to watch the excitement crowded the wide streets near the academy.

Jiang Xuan got up early, got ready, and went out to join the crowd.

He waited as agreed, outside the imposing gate of the academy.

Not long after, Gu Liang squeezed through the crowd, panting, and was holding two gold-embossed certificates in his hand.

"Brother Jiang Xuan, sorry to keep you waiting! Here are your assessment credentials and spectator credentials. Quick, let's line up and go in!"

Gu Liang handed a voucher to Jiang Xuan, his face showing both nervousness and, more importantly, excitement and anticipation.

After their credentials were verified, the two followed the long queue and slowly entered the highest institution of learning in Yanxia County.

After passing through several courtyards, the view suddenly opened up before me!
This is an incredibly large, circular open-air venue.

The surrounding area features tiered, circular seating areas capable of accommodating 100,000 people, which are already packed with people.

The place was pitch black, and the clamor of voices gathered together, echoing deafeningly in the air!
At the very center of the venue, one hundred arenas were neatly arranged!

Each arena is about an acre in size and is made of a certain dark blue, hard stone.

Its surface is smooth, with intricate spiritual patterns faintly visible, exuding a stable and powerful aura.

One hundred arenas are scattered like stars across the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle!
"So...this is the venue for the provincial examination? It's truly magnificent!"

Looking at the magnificent scene before him, Jiang Xuan, despite his calm and composed nature, couldn't help but feel awe.

This is only the assessment for one prefecture. How magnificent must the cultivator world of the entire empire be?

Gu Liang, standing to the side, was so excited that his face turned red and his hands trembled slightly.

He patted Jiang Xuan's shoulder forcefully, lowered his voice, and his eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

"Brother Jiang Xuan! Do you see this? This is our chance! The spotlight of 100,000 people! As long as you shine on this stage, our Jin Yutang name will spread throughout the entire Yanxia County on your coattails! This time, we must become an instant sensation!"

Jiang Xuan and Gu Liang exchanged a few more words in hushed tones, mainly about how to coordinate the details of the subsequent publicity.

He then gripped the assessment token in his hand and walked toward the designated assessment area.

The assessment area was located on a wide open space to the side and behind the hundred arenas.

At this moment, thousands of young cultivators have gathered here. As far as the eye can see, there is a dense crowd of people and young faces that are either nervous, excited, or trying to appear calm.

These young men and women are all outstanding individuals under the age of eighteen from various cities in Yanxia County, representing the potential of the county's younger generation.

The place was bustling with noise, and various discussions mingled together, creating a huge wave of sound.

"Have you heard? It's said that even big shots from the Southwest Province will be watching this assessment! If you get noticed, you'll be on a meteoric rise!"

"There are even more geniuses in the province! Our county's top genius, like Li Hao from the Li family, is said to have already stepped one foot into the Heavenly Gang Realm!"

"And there's Young Master Liu from the Prefect's Mansion, who studied under a renowned master in the capital; his strength is unfathomable!"

"Sigh, let's not talk about those monsters... I just hope I don't run into that jinx Jiang Xuan in the first round!"

"Jiang Xuan? Is that the ruthless guy who destroyed the Heavenly Gang Realm puppet at the Azure Sea Dojo?"

"That's right! It's said that he's eight feet tall and has an eight-foot waist, and he can kill a dragon-elephant with one punch! He's a being who can fight against a Heavenly Realm expert even though he's only at the Human Realm! Anyone who runs into him is doomed!"

"Ugh... He's the opponent I least want to face! I hope God will bless me and not let me draw him!"

Jiang Xuan mingled in the crowd, listening to the discussions about himself.

Especially when he heard the increasingly outrageous descriptions of her appearance, his lips twitched slightly, and he shook his head helplessly.

His delicate appearance is quite different from the description of someone who is "eight feet tall and has an eight-foot waist".

However, this feeling of being feared by everyone has saved a lot of trouble.

His gaze swept across the crowd, and he spotted several familiar figures.

Wen Mingxiu and Yuan Shu, who had clashed with him at the Hundred Beasts Hall, as well as Qi Yunxiao, whom he had defeated, were also present.

They also saw Jiang Xuan the moment their eyes met.

The expressions on their faces became somewhat unnatural, their eyes filled with apprehension, complexity, and even fear.

She subconsciously looked away, not daring to meet his gaze.

Just then, the crowd suddenly stirred slightly.

A young man dressed in luxurious brocade robes, exuding an imposing air, strode over, surrounded by a group of people.

Wherever he went, the young cultivators around him made way for him, casting glances of either awe or envy.

"It's Xue Shaolin! The Xue family's genius!"

"He's one of the favorites to win this time!"

Upon seeing the young man in brocade robes, Wen Mingxiu, Yuan Shu, and the others immediately adopted a respectful demeanor and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.

"Senior Brother Xue!"

The young man in brocade robes, Xue Shaolin, simply nodded, his gaze casually sweeping over the crowd with an air of innate superiority.

Qi Yunxiao seemed to want to say something, pointed in the direction of Jiang Xuan, and whispered.

"Senior Brother Xue, that's Jiang Xuan."

Upon hearing this, Xue Shaolin's gaze immediately sharpened, and he looked in the direction Qi Yunxiao pointed.

At that moment, Jiang Xuan turned around and looked towards the arena, leaving him with only a tall but not particularly burly back view.

Xue Shaolin stared at Jiang Xuan's back with surprise in his eyes, then a curious smile appeared on his lips.

"Oh? He's Jiang Xuan? He doesn't seem as fierce as the rumors say. But... someone who can make that madman Huang Jianchen suffer is interesting."

Instead of feeling fear, he felt a strong urge to compete with Jiang Xuan!

At their level, encountering a worthy opponent is far more exciting than encountering a weakling.

"It seems this assessment won't be boring."

Xue Shaolin muttered to himself, his fighting spirit quietly rising. "Li Hao, Liu Yu, and the others... probably have the same thoughts, right?"

He was already looking forward to clashing with these top talents.

"when--!"

Just then, a melodious and resonant bell rang out, instantly drowning out all the noise in the room and clearly reaching everyone's ears.

The entire venue, which could hold 100,000 people, fell silent in an instant; you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to the white jade platform suspended in mid-air on the east side of the venue.

On the high platform sat several figures, each exuding a profound aura that inspired awe.

The witnesses to this assessment were none other than Prefect Liu Wujun, Dean Wei Lingzhen of Yanxia Academy, and General Du Dongtu, the most outstanding cultivators in Yanxia County!

Dean Wei Lingzhen slowly stood up. His hair and beard were all white, his face was thin, and his gaze was peaceful yet carried an undeniable authority.

He looked around at the densely packed young cultivators below, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of everyone.

"Distinguished young talents..."

Wei Lingzhen first offered words of encouragement, explaining the significance of the provincial examination, which was to select pillars of the empire and to inspire everyone to strive for excellence. He then announced the examination rules.

"...The assessment will be conducted by drawing lots, with one-on-one duels in one arena. One hundred arenas will be used simultaneously, and each duel will be limited to one incense stick's time. The winner advances, and the loser is eliminated. If no winner is determined within one incense stick's time, both will be eliminated!"

The rules are simple yet brutal!
This means that you not only need the strength to defeat your opponent, but also sufficient speed and efficiency! Delaying tactics won't work here!
"Now, the first round of assessment will begin with the drawing of lots!"

Wei Lingzhen announced.

Within the assessment area, hundreds of lottery points that had been set up in advance were activated simultaneously.

The cultivators lined up in an orderly fashion and pressed their assessment tokens onto the specific spirit rune array.

Jiang Xuan followed the crowd to a lottery point and pressed his token.

The magic circle flashed, and a line of clear small characters appeared on the token.

[Match 1, Ring 36, Opponent: Tan Long.]

"Is it going to be the first game? Well, that'll be good, it'll be good to warm up early."

Jiang Xuan glanced at the message, his expression calm.

According to the rules, half of the 5,436 cultivators in the first round will be eliminated today.

When the words "Ring 36. Jiang Xuan vs. Tan Long" appeared, the already noisy audience erupted into chaos!

"Number 36! It's Jiang Xuan!"
He played in the very first game!

"Quick! Get to arena number 36 and claim a spot!"

"My God, I can finally see for myself just how powerful this legendary nemesis really is!"

"Is there even a need to look? It's an absolute crushing victory!"

That unlucky guy named Tan Long probably couldn't even withstand one move!

"Don't speak too confidently. What if Tan Long is also a hidden master?"

"Forget it, he's just unlucky to be facing Jiang Xuan!"

Almost everyone's attention was drawn to the direction of ring number 36.

The duels on the other ninety-nine arenas seemed to have become mere background elements.

Of the 100,000 people discussing the matter, almost 70-80% revolved around the name "Jiang Xuan".

His mystery, his strength, and the rumors surrounding his place at the Bihai Dojo have all become topics of great interest.

In a corner of the audience, Gu Liang watched the thunderous roar of the crowd, his hands clenched tightly and his body trembling slightly with excitement.

He knew that Jiang Xuan was famous.

But seeing the focus of 100,000 people almost all converge on him was still more shocking than he had imagined.

"Brother Jiang Xuan... this time, our Jin Yutang is really going to become famous!"

He murmured to himself, his eyes filled with anticipation.

On the white jade platform, important figures such as Liu Wujun and Wei Lingzhen naturally noticed the commotion below.

Wei Lingzhen stroked his beard and chuckled, then said to Liu Wujun beside him.

“Prefect Liu, it seems that Jiang Xuan’s reputation among the younger generation is quite impressive. I remember just a few months ago, he was just a promising young man. The speed at which he has risen to prominence is truly astonishing.”

Liu Wujun gazed intently at the direction of arena number 36 and nodded slightly.

"This child is indeed no ordinary person. Let's see how far he can go in this assessment."

Several important figures showed some interest.

In the competition area, top geniuses such as Xue Shaolin, Li Hao, and Liu Yu were present.

People like Wen Mingxiu and Qi Yunxiao, who had interacted with Jiang Xuan before, all turned their attention to arena number 36.

They all wanted to see for themselves whether Jiang Xuan, who was rumored to be incredibly fierce, truly lived up to his reputation.

In stark contrast to the heated discussion throughout the venue was the despair of Tan Long, one of the parties involved.

When he saw the lottery results, his face turned pale instantly, and his legs went weak.

"Jiang...Jiang Xuan? How could it be him? It's over...my assessment journey...comes to an end..."

He was filled with despair, wishing he could faint on the spot.

Urged on by the referee, Tan Long dragged himself onto ring number 36 with heavy steps and a mournful face.

He kept his head down, not daring to look around, feeling as if a hundred thousand gazes were piercing him like needles.

Just then, Jiang Xuan also walked steadily onto the arena.

He was still dressed in a simple blue cloth shirt, with a tall and upright figure and a handsome face.

He was far from the menacing figure described in rumors, who was "eight feet tall and had an eight-foot waist."

Tan Long sensed someone coming up on stage and subconsciously glanced up.

Seeing Jiang Xuan's young and even somewhat frail appearance, he was taken aback at first.

Then, with a sob in her voice, she asked softly.

"Hey...brother, did you come to the wrong ring? This is number 36, Jiang Xuan versus Tan Long..."

Jiang Xuan found the other person's appearance somewhat amusing and calmly spoke.

"I am Jiang Xuan."

"You...you are Jiang Xuan?!"

Tan Long's eyes widened instantly as he looked Jiang Xuan up and down in disbelief.

The fear on their faces did not lessen; in fact, it intensified!

Rumors are not to be believed!
That delicate appearance is even more frightening!
How skilled must this person be at disguising themselves?!
His lips trembled, and he was about to admit defeat.

"me…"

"Fight me with all your might."

Jiang Xuan interrupted him, his tone calm yet undeniably authoritative. (End of Chapter)