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

Compared to this, the bizarre [Mother and Child Yin Ghost Scripture] that Huang Jianchen cultivated back then, although also very powerful and troublesome, ultimately paled in comparison to this pure and domineering Dao of attack.

"【Nine Shaking Heavens Collapse Dao】...is absolutely a top-tier secret technique that surpasses ordinary levels!"

Jiang Xuan was determined and filled with even more anticipation and motivation for his future cultivation path.

He strolled out of the dojo and keenly noticed that the cultivators he encountered along the way, regardless of age or cultivation level, all looked at him with a complex emotion—fear, vigilance, awe, and even a hint of barely perceptible fear.

After a moment's thought, he understood the reason. With the provincial examination imminent, he, who had shone brightly in the arena and was now rumored to possess the combat power to contend with those at the Heavenly Gang Realm, was probably already the "least desirable opponent" in the eyes of these competitors. Jiang Xuan simply took it in stride and didn't dwell on it.

Just as they reached the entrance of the dojo, Yin Daxu's slightly hurried shouts came from behind them.

"Young Master Jiang Xuan! Please wait!"

Jiang Xuan stopped and turned around to look.

Yin Daxu quickly caught up, his face beaming with a warm smile, and respectfully handed over a finely crafted storage bag in both hands.

"It is truly an honor that Young Master Jiang Xuan has come to our humble academy to hone his martial arts skills today! This is just a small token of our appreciation, and we hope that you will accept it with gratitude and not refuse it!"

Jiang Xuan looked at Yin Daxu's smiling eyes, which couldn't hide a hint of heartache, and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

He took the storage bag and casually scanned it with his divine sense, discovering that it contained a full five hundred glittering high-grade spirit stones! This was no small amount.

He looked at Yin Daxu with a half-smile and teased him.

"Is Master Yin being so polite because he's afraid I'll come back tomorrow and dismantle the puppet of the Heavenly Gang Realm as well, so he's offering some 'compensation' in advance to get rid of this 'plague god'?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Daxu turned pale with fright and hurriedly waved his hands, shaking his head like a rattle drum.

"No, no! Young Master Jiang, what are you saying! Your presence is an honor for our Bihai Daoist sect! Our gates are always open for you! You may come whenever you wish, and use whichever secret room you prefer! We have absolutely no ulterior motives!"

He spoke with absolute certainty, as if afraid that Jiang Xuan would misunderstand.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Xuan stopped teasing him, casually put away the storage bag, and waved his hand.

"It was just a joke, Mr. Yin, there's no need to be so serious. Thank you for your hospitality today, farewell."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to blend into the crowd on the street outside.

Watching Jiang Xuan's departing figure, Yin Daxu finally breathed a long sigh of relief, raised his sleeve to wipe away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and thought to himself.

"Finally, we've sent this big shot away... Although it cost us money, it's better to have made a good connection than to have offended him."

However, before he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, the same waiter came running over with a long face and whispered something.

"Owner... Heaven... the inspection of the number one secret chamber is complete..."

Yin Daxu's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm and asked.

"How is the situation? The puppet... isn't destroyed, is it?"

The waiter swallowed hard and said with difficulty.

"Destroyed...not completely destroyed...but all ten meteorite mithril puppets are wounded, with severely worn joints, dented breastplates, and more than 30% of their spirit patterns damaged...to completely restore them to their original state, we must hire a specialized puppet master. A preliminary estimate...will require at least two thousand gold coins..."

"Two...two thousand gold coins?!"

Yin Daxu's vision went black, and he felt a surge of hot blood rush to his head. He was so angry that he almost jumped up on the spot and roared furiously.

"This isn't destroyed?! What's the difference between this and total destruction?! My entire month's income wouldn't be enough to cover the damages! This jinx... is he here to hone his skills or to wreck my house?!"

……

As dusk settles, the city lights begin to illuminate the night.

Jiang Xuan walked along the bustling street, preparing to head to the nearby Spirit Pattern Shuttle station to catch a ride back to his residence. His gaze casually swept across the street scene, but in a nearby alleyway, he spotted a familiar figure—Gu Liang.

Gu Liang was seen blocking a young man dressed in luxurious white clothes with a somewhat arrogant expression. He had a slick smile typical of businessmen on his face and seemed to be trying his best to sell something.

"...Young master, you are clearly an outstanding person. You will surely shine in this provincial examination! If you could just casually mention our 'Jin Yu Tang' name after you win, and give us a little publicity, we at Jin Yu Tang will be very grateful! Whether it's pills, spiritual materials, or gold coins, we can discuss it all!"

Gu Liang said in a warm tone.

The white-clad youth, however, looked impatient. He shoved aside Gu Liang's hand that was blocking his way, glanced at him disdainfully, and snorted coldly.

"Get out of my way! What Golden Jade Hall, Silver Jade Hall? Never even heard of them! Do I look like someone who needs your little favors? I'm not short of money! Get out of my way!"

Having said that, he didn't even bother to look at Gu Liang again and strode away.

Gu Liang stumbled from the push, watching the boy's departing figure, he shrugged helplessly, a look of frustration on his face.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of Jiang Xuan walking over out of the corner of his eye, and a delighted smile immediately appeared on his face as he hurried over to greet him.

"Jiang Xuan! What are you doing here? I was just thinking of coming to see you these past few days!"

Jiang Xuan smiled and said.

"I've come to the Bihai Dojo on some business. What are you doing here?"

He gestured with his gaze in the direction the white-clad youth had left.

Upon hearing this, Gu Liang gave a wry smile and sighed.

"What else can we do? Let's find a way to make Jin Yutang famous."

He pulled Jiang Xuan to the roadside and explained in detail.

"As you know, although Jin Yutang has established itself in Yanxia City, we are still newcomers and have little foundation or reputation."

There are many established businesses in this city, leading to fierce competition, and business has always been lukewarm, or even rather bleak.

So I was thinking, could I take advantage of this provincial examination?"

He pointed to the young cultivators on the street who were hurrying along and exuding a powerful aura.

"Look, the entire city, even the whole Southwest Province, is focused on this assessment! This is a fantastic opportunity for publicity! I'm looking to find some promising young talents who have a good chance of achieving good results and discuss cooperation with them. As long as they perform well in the assessment, or even just mention our Golden Jade Hall's name after winning, we'll pay them a generous reward or provide them with the cultivation resources they need."

Wouldn't this quickly establish Jin Yutang's reputation?

After listening, Jiang Xuan nodded and praised.

"Your idea is brilliant. Leveraging this opportunity for publicity will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

“The idea is not bad,” Gu Liang said, his bitterness deepening as he helplessly shrugged.

Unfortunately, reality is harsh.

Those who are able to participate in the provincial examination, especially those who seem to have the ability, aren't they all arrogant and conceited geniuses? They either feel that they don't lack this little bit of money and disdain doing this kind of "representative" work, feeling that it lowers their status;

Either their families have powerful connections and simply look down on our resources. I've talked myself hoarse, approached at least a dozen people, but haven't managed to reach a single one! It's driving me crazy!

Seeing Gu Liang's worried expression, Jiang Xuan suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

He patted Gu Liang on the shoulder and, under the other's questioning gaze, smiled and asked.

"Gu Liang, what do you think of me?"

Gu Liang was taken aback by Jiang Xuan's sudden question. Then, his eyes lit up as if two bright lamps had been lit in the dark! He slapped his head and exclaimed as if he had just realized something.

"Oh yeah! How could I forget about you! You're one of the biggest favorites in this provincial exam!"

He excitedly grabbed Jiang Xuan's arm, his voice rising eight octaves.

"Jiang Xuan! If you're willing to help, the effect will be far greater than finding ten or eight ordinary geniuses! With your current reputation and strength, as long as you make great strides in the assessment, even if you only mention our Jin Yutang's name at the end, the effect will be... unimaginable!"

Jiang Xuan looked at his excited expression, smiled and shook his head, and said.

"You can handle the specifics. Just let me know in advance what you need me to do."

"No problem! Keep it on me!"

Gu Liang patted his chest, the gloom on his face vanished, replaced by boundless anticipation and enthusiasm.

"I'll go back and plan it out right away! I guarantee your 'promotion' will be natural yet impressive! Haha, now it'll be impossible for Jin Yutang not to become famous!"

After parting ways with Gu Liang, Jiang Xuan returned to his courtyard and continued his intense cultivation, making final preparations for the upcoming provincial examination.

……

Time flies, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the largest square in the center of Yanxia City—Qingyun Square—was bustling with activity, an unprecedented spectacle! The vast square was divided into several areas, and the surrounding stands were already packed with people, a sea of ​​heads moving about, the noise soaring into the sky like a tsunami.

The annual provincial examination for the southwestern province of the empire finally officially began on this day!
After exchanging a few words with Xue Jin, Jiang Xuan, alone, carrying the assessment token that represented his eligibility to participate, walked through the crowded throng and headed towards the strictly sealed-off assessment area in the center of the square.

The assessment area was now densely packed with thousands of young cultivators.

These young men and women, all under the age of eighteen, are elites selected from various parts of the southwestern province.

Most of them were well-dressed and had an extraordinary air about them, clearly indicating that they came from wealthy or noble backgrounds, with relatively few from poor families among them.

On everyone's face, there was a mixture of anticipation for the future, tension of the impending battle, and barely suppressed excitement.

For the vast majority of people present, this provincial examination was undoubtedly a crucial leap that would change their destiny! Standing out meant not only gaining the qualification to participate in the higher-level imperial examinations in the Forbidden City, the imperial capital, but also a path to power, resources, and influence unfolding before them! The moment to leap over the dragon gate had arrived!
There was a great deal of discussion and chatter among the crowd.

"I heard that even top figures from the Southwest Province, such as Grand Commander Liu Wujun, Dean Wei Lingzhen, and General Du Dongtu, will be personally present to watch this assessment!"

"That's not all! It's said that there are also important figures from the Forbidden City hiding in the spectator stands. If you perform exceptionally well and catch their eye, you'll truly rise to the top in one step!"

"The opportunity is great, but the competition is too fierce! More than 5,000 people, only 100 will be selected..."

"Yes, and there are many strong people there! Look over there, the four geniuses of Yanxia Academy, Xue Shaolin, Yu Wenjing, Le Zhiyou, and Yun Zitong, it is said that the four of them have already broken through to the Heavenly Gang Realm! Their strength is unfathomable!"

"Celestial Realm?! My god, how can we even compete with that?"

"Not entirely. The assessment is not solely based on cultivation level."

Some of the best individuals in the Gang Realm also possess terrifying strength for cross-realm combat! For example… that Jiang Xuan!

"Jiang Xuan?! The one who defeated Huang Jianchen in the arena? He's the opponent I least want to face! I heard that a few days ago at the Bihai Dojo, he directly destroyed a puppet at the Earthly Gang Realm, and then went to the Heavenly Gang Realm secret chamber for training! Think about it, is someone with only Human Gang Realm cultivation who can go to the Heavenly Gang Realm secret chamber for training an ordinary person?"

"Hiss... The Heavenly Gang Realm secret chamber of the Azure Sea Dojo? Really? Then his strength must be..."

As Jiang Xuan walked through the crowd, listening to the constant discussions about him, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

He never expected that his story at the Bihai Dojo would spread so quickly and so widely, and it seemed to be getting more and more exaggerated.

What made him even more amused and exasperated was that few of those discussing him actually recognized him; it was all just hearsay.

Just then, a chubby boy with a round figure and a kind face next to him was clasping his hands together and praying silently to the sky with a devout expression.

"Thank God, may my ancestors protect me, please, please don't let me run into Jiang Xuan in the first round... I don't want to be eliminated in the first round..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan couldn't resist his curiosity and moved closer, wanting to hear what others thought of him.

The chubby boy continued muttering to himself.

"...I heard that Jiang Xuan is nine feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a blue face and fangs, and can kill a barbarian elephant with one punch! He's incredibly ferocious! That day in the arena, Huang Jianchen was beaten to tears and forced to admit defeat by him... He's terrifying..."

Jiang Xuan stumbled, almost losing his balance. Nine feet tall? Blue-faced and fanged? He made Huang Jianchen cry? What on earth was this?! He looked down at his normal build and hands, then touched his face, which was definitely not "blue-faced and fanged," and was speechless.

He finally came to a profound understanding of what it means to be "a person who is completely wrong about rumors."

He shook his head helplessly, ignoring the increasingly outrageous rumors, and continued walking into the assessment area.

He hadn't gone far when his gaze met several familiar eyes. It was Wen Mingxiu, Yuan Shu, Qi Yunxiao, and a group of other prominent young men from Yanxia City. (End of Chapter)