Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 174 Climbing the Mountain of Books, the First Sea!

The crowd in front of the Luoyang Confucian Temple gradually thinned out.

As the last ray of rainbow light dissipated, the eccentric Huang Chaocai emerged from the shadow of the ancient cypress trees in front of the temple.

He dusted off his faded blue shirt, the frayed edges of the cuffs trembling slightly in the wind.

The wine gourd at his waist swayed, making a hollow, muffled sound—he had drunk the entire gourd of fine wine he had bought with dozens of taels of silver last night.

"The top ten scholars in the imperial examinations? Ha."

He stared at the entrance to the Confucian Temple's virtual realm and sneered, his withered fingers unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at his waist.

A tiny crack had appeared on the edge of the jade pendant; it was from when he fell as he stepped out of the examination hall after failing the previous spring examination.

The "madman" who failed the imperial examinations three times had long become a joke in the eyes of the other candidates.

"Apart from Jiang Xingzhou, he's someone worth mentioning."

He suddenly tilted his head back and gulped down a mouthful of fine wine, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. "As for the others, humph, they're nothing special!"

The words stopped abruptly.

A leaf fell from the eaves of the Confucian temple and landed on his unfolded folding fan.

The ink on the fan surface blurred, revealing half of a wild cursive script: "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

This is what he wrote in front of the chief examiner, the Minister of Rites, during the last imperial examination.

From afar came the urging of a purple-robed official: "The entrance to the Void Realm is about to close. Do you wish to enter?!"

"The eccentric Huang Chao, please enter the mountain of books!"

Huang Chao laughed loudly.

Laughter startled crows, which fluttered past the plaque of the Confucian Temple.

He flicked his sleeve and turned, his gaunt figure casting a long shadow on the ground. One step, two steps, but just before the illusory light screen dissipated, he suddenly gulped down a mouthful of wine—

"Snapped!"

The aroma of wine mingled with the scent of ink, rising into the sky.

The figure in the blue robe had transformed into a streak of light, carrying with it more than a decade's worth of pent-up resentment, and crashed into the mountain of books in the Confucian Temple.

Temple of Confucius.

Within the illusory realm, heaven and earth stood solemnly.

Before Jiang Xingzhou's eyes,

A majestic mountain of books rises abruptly from the ground, its layers upon layers brimming with the flames of civilization; countless volumes of books are piled upon each other, resembling a towering, rugged mountain range.

Ancient tortoise shells were engraved with the prayers of our ancestors, bronze inscriptions recorded the rise and fall of dynasties, bamboo slips and leather bindings strung together the profound words of sages, and jade slips and golden books sealed the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.

Countless fragments of scrolls and chapters float in mid-air, rising and falling and circling between the mountain ridges like weary birds returning to their forests.

A monument stands before the mountain: [There is a path to the mountain of books, diligence is the way; the sea of ​​learning is boundless, hard work is the boat!]
Only after crossing this mountain of books can one see a boundless sea of ​​learning—but this sea of ​​learning is not usually open to the public and cannot be seen by scholars.

"boom!"

Song Chuwang stepped on a jade slab, his figure soaring like a crane into the sky, leaping over the mountain of books.

Behind them, the top scholars displayed their unique talents.

Nine golden threads flew out from Li Yuankui's sleeve, then flew out of the bamboo slips, using the force to rise upwards;

The ancient sword behind Qin Wen rang out, the flying sword was unsheathed, and he flew on the sword.

Cao Jin then tossed out the bamboo slips in his hand, which automatically formed a staircase leading up to him.

In an instant, the candidates at the front had all easily scaled the mountain of books and leaped down—

But behind the mountain of books, where there had been nothingness, an endless expanse of shimmering light appeared.

The vast ocean of knowledge has no bounds.

In the distance, ancient lost cities float on the water, and strange and exotic beasts recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas leap on the crests of the waves. Countless golden lights shimmer and appear and disappear in the deep sea whirlpools, seemingly hiding divine treasures.

"Pfft!"

Song Chuwang crossed the mountain of books and was the first to rush into the sea of ​​learning, instantly stirring up a thousand waves of literary fervor.

All the onlookers saw were beautiful characters appearing around him, which actually cleaved a path through the raging waves of the sea.

Seeing this, the top ten scholars all unleashed their best skills and followed closely behind.

Huang Chao, who was the last to enter the sea, carried half a tortoise shell he had picked up from the foot of the mountain—the weathered oracle bone inscriptions on it seemed to record a whirlpool deep within the sea of ​​knowledge.

Jiang Xingzhou remained silent, gazing speechlessly at the mountain guardian that appeared halfway up the mountain.

The mountain guardian is a bronze warrior wielding a spear, with a faint blue flame flickering in his empty eye sockets.

It holds a spear in its right hand and a bronze wine cup in its left, in which light and shadow flicker—a perfect example of "a snake reflected in a cup."

He was blocked by the fourth level of the Book Mountain [The Snake in the Cup].

The sky was shimmering with light, and the newly appointed scholars, riding on their literary aura, gracefully crossed the mountains.

Jiang Xingzhou looked up and saw the candidates flying over the mountain of books, while he, the top scholar, remained at the foot of the mountain, which made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

Normally, a student who has completed the preliminary studies will enter the mountain of books once, and will spend at least half of the mountain of books.

Only after passing through eleven checkpoints can a scholar enter the mountain of books and reach the shore of the sea of ​​knowledge.

Once one becomes a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, there is no need to pass any further tests; one can directly traverse the mountain of books and venture into the sea of ​​learning—this is how most scholars operate!
Unfortunately, during his early life, he entered the Mountain of Books once, but stopped at the third level. He was bitten to death by the demonic snake of the "[Cup and Bow Reflecting on a Snake]" literary technique.

After becoming a student and then a scholar, he never set foot in the Confucian Temple again.

"That's it!
Let's get over the mountain of books first!

Jiang Xingzhou curled his lips into a self-deprecating smile, looked around, and thankfully no one else witnessed this embarrassing situation, thus avoiding a bit of awkwardness.

"extremely suspicious!"

As the bronze guardian saw Jiang Xingzhou step into the fourth pass, it suddenly let out a fierce roar, the sound like the clash of metal, which shook the clouds and mist in the mountains.

Suddenly, the wine cup in its hand shone brightly with an eerie light, and the shadows inside poured out like ink, transforming into hundreds of twisted black shadows that coiled towards the boat on the river like venomous snakes!

Jiang Xingzhou's eyes narrowed, and a faint smile flickered across his lips.

"Insightful observation like fire!"

Two golden flames suddenly ignited in his eyes, and he let out a soft shout.

As far as the eye could see, the shadows receded, leaving only a serpentine demonic shadow formed from condensed energy hidden within, its scales menacing and its fangs bared.

He slightly raised his fingertips, and a wisp of literary energy condensed like a needle, suddenly shooting out—

"Snapped!"

The snake demon's head exploded with a crash, and the shadow dissipated like smoke!
"Back then..."

Jiang Xingzhou's fingertips lightly traced the stone steps of the mountain of books, and memories surged forth.

At that time, he was still a student in a private school, just entering the world of books. In the fourth level of the world of books, "The Snake in the Cup", he was defeated by a snake demon. His talent was shaken and he was almost injured.

And now——

Such literary skills, which are extremely dangerous for a student, are nothing more than a snap of the fingers for him, a successful candidate in the provincial and metropolitan examinations.

The mountain wind howled, whipping up his snow-white robe.

Jiang Xingzhou walked with his hands behind his back, climbing the steps.

The eleven challenges in the Book Mountain test your knowledge of character analysis, four-character idioms, or classical texts such as "The Primer of Prosody," "The Book of Poetry," and "The Analects."

Each time you pass a level, a faintly glowing treasure will appear as a reward.

Whether it's a handwritten ancient book or a piece of literary treasure—things that students and scholars would treasure—it's hard for him to notice anymore.

"We've reached the summit!"

In no time, he passed the eleventh level of the mountain of books, and the thousand-foot mountain of books was already beneath his feet.

At the summit, shrouded in mist, stands a massive jade stele, densely inscribed with names—the rankings of scholars who ventured into the mountain throughout history.

"There is a path to the mountain of books, and diligence is the way." This stele records those who, throughout history, have a solid foundation in literature and are skilled in writing, and who have passed through the mountain of books in the shortest amount of time.

This is a tremendous honor, which will be remembered at the summit of the mountain of books, for future generations to admire!
A new ranking has appeared on the Book Mountain Stele: [Jiangyin Jiang Xingzhou, 9th place, clear the Book Mountain quickly!]

"I, a mere scholar, passed the 'Book Mountain' test and ranked ninth in speed through it? The Great Zhou Dynasty truly has a wealth of experts throughout its history!"

Jiang Xingzhou's gaze swept over the inscription on the stele, and he suddenly felt a slight heat in the area between his eyebrows.

Looking up into the distance, one can see the vast expanse of water at the foot of the mountain, with the boundless waves of the sea of ​​learning crashing against the green stones on the shore.

There were no more checkpoints on the back of the mountain of books. Jiang Xingzhou, his clothes fluttering, descended on the wind and arrived at the shore of the Sea of ​​Learning in the blink of an eye.

The fine white sand beach, like a sheet of snow-white paper, is bathed in sunshine under a clear blue sky, creating a beautiful scene as magnificent as a painting.

In the distance, some boats and flying swords cut through the waves, leaving long trails of light on the vast sea.

Jiang Xingzhou flicked his wide sleeves, and a small boat made of green lotus petals appeared in mid-air—it was his "On the Love of Lotus" boat, a literary treasure of Mingzhou level.

The lotus pattern on the hull flows, and the inscription "rising from the mud unsullied" is faintly visible, gleaming with a faint golden light. The hull is exceptionally sturdy.

"go with!"

With a light touch of his toes, the flying boat shot into the first sea of ​​the academy like an arrow.

A sudden gale arose, and the boat cleaved through the waves.

The sea, which had been calm just moments before, suddenly changed color!
The biting sea wind swept in from all directions, carrying specks of ink, each one heavy as a thousand pounds.

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, and several green lotus leaves automatically unfolded beside him, which could not only block the gale but also transform into sails at any time to fly with the help of the wind.

The six characters "濯清涟而不妖" (meaning "washed by clear ripples yet not seductive") on the lotus leaf shone brightly, remaining motionless in the fierce wind. Although he set off a moment later than the other thousand candidates, the speed of this Mingzhou-class literary boat was astonishing.

Between the sea and the sky, various literary treasures carry the candidates forward, cutting through the waves.

Someone stood on a green-bladed sword, its sword energy slicing through the gale.

Someone stood on a purple bamboo slip, the slip fluttering like butterflies;
Even worse, some people sailed in bronze boats, only to find themselves tossed about and unable to move in the wind and waves.
In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Jiang Xingzhou had already overtaken several ordinary boats struggling to move forward in the wind and waves.

Those scholars who were surpassed either traveled by boat, rode swords, or stepped on bamboo slips, looking up at the sky.

A small boat, adorned with a lotus leaf, came cutting through the waves. On board stood a young man with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering as if unaffected by the biting sea wind.

In the blink of an eye, they surpassed them and disappeared into the vast sea of ​​learning.

"Is that... Jiang Jieyuan's 'On the Love of Lotus'?"

A scholar stared wide-eyed. "It really is a Mingzhou-level literary treasure! To actually use it to cross the first sea? How extravagant!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked down at their vehicles.

Or perhaps it's a barely passable [county-level] literary sword, its blade trembling slightly in the sea breeze; or perhaps it's several scrolls of [township-level] bamboo slips, creaking under the weight of the waves.
"This gap"

One of the scholars smiled bitterly.

Not to mention that this is a low-grade Wenbao (a type of magical artifact), it flies slowly!
It's not sturdy or durable either; it could break at any time if exposed to the biting sea winds.

All literary treasures, regardless of their grade, are consumables. Once they are subjected to external impacts, they will be consumed to some extent.

The lower the grade, the less durable it is.

Over time, it will break down. A hefty sum will then be needed to repair it.

Their low-grade writing materials are showing signs of damage at a visible rate; cracks are appearing on the bamboo slips, and the writing is becoming blurred by the sea breeze.

Moreover, lower-grade literary treasures consume more talent energy!
If this continues, their low-grade literary treasures will likely shatter before they even reach the first sea, their talents exhausted, and they will have to withdraw from the sea of ​​learning in despair.

but,

Even if they possess the [Mingzhou] literary treasure, they probably wouldn't be willing to use it! —That's a precious literary treasure powerful enough to protect an entire family; how could it be easily wasted unless in a life-or-death situation?!

Only someone like Jiang Xingzhou, who disregards Mingzhou's literary treasures, would use a literary treasure of this caliber to cross the raging sea of ​​learning.

In the distance, the small boat, resembling a lotus leaf, had already transformed into a sliver of green, leaving the dozens of scholars far behind.

Jiang Xingzhou steered his small blue lotus boat through the sky and quickly caught up with a large group of hundreds of scholars ahead.

Crossing the sea of ​​knowledge is extremely difficult!

Even the first sea made it difficult for many candidates to proceed.

The further they flew, the more violent the sea wind became.

The scene before my eyes was terrifying—

The turbulent sea of ​​learning has transformed into a raging hell!

Giant, dark waves, hundreds of feet high, rose up on the sea like city walls, their crests gleaming with a chilling light.

Beneath the surface of the sea, shadows roamed, and one could vaguely see sea beasts with menacing scales and gaping maws.

Hundreds of scholars struggled to move forward amidst the raging winds and waves.

Their precious artifacts were emitting mournful cries of unbearable strain, and were already in grave danger!
The blade of a county-level scholar's sword was covered with cracks with a "creaking" sound, and the scholar who was flying on the sword was pale-faced.
A scholar, stepping on bamboo slips, watched as the slips dissolved at a visible speed.

Even worse, the ark beneath them began to give way and started to sink.
"what!"

Suddenly, a scholar screamed in pain as he stumbled and fell off the paper box due to the turbulent airflow.

In an instant, it was sliced ​​into tiny specks of light by the sharp, knife-like sea wind and disappeared.

"Hold on!

We, the scholars who have passed the imperial examinations, have only one chance in our lives to cross the sea of ​​learning at the Confucian Temple, to obtain rare and precious fruits, and to enhance our literary skills!

Someone roared, "If you miss this opportunity, you'll never be able to come back here again unless you pass the imperial examination!"

This sentence made everyone grit their teeth.

They all knew in their hearts that for most scholars, passing the imperial examination and becoming a Jinshi was nothing but an unattainable dream.

If they fail to cross the sea today, they may never have the chance to see the true face of the sea of ​​knowledge again in their lifetime, and to obtain the rare and precious fruits of the sea of ​​knowledge that they will never see in their lifetime!

Jiang Xingzhou's [Mingzhou] Azure Lotus Boat, however, moved steadily forward amidst the raging waves as if strolling in a leisurely garden. The boat shone with a clear light, splitting the oncoming giant waves in two with a "whoosh."

Li Yuankui, the top scholar of Longyou Province, stood on a bronze boat. The boat, inscribed with the "Ode to the Dragon Palace," a high-ranking official document, remained as steady as a rock amidst the wind and waves.

Suddenly, he felt a refreshing aura behind him. Turning around, he saw a blue lotus leaf breaking through the waves and a young man on the boat with his clothes fluttering. It was none other than Jiang Xingzhou, the Daoist of Jiangnan.

"A Mingzhou-level literary treasure?!"

Li Yuankui's pupils contracted sharply, and the inscriptions on the bronze boat trembled.

As a direct descendant of the Li clan of Longyou, he had accumulated considerable wealth, yet he could only manage to cross the sea in a single [Dafu]-class official boat, which already caused him considerable financial distress.

And Jiang Xingzhou, who came from a humble background, actually managed to cross the sea using a higher-level [Mingzhou] literary treasure?

The bronze boat emitted a deep hum amidst the waves, as if responding to its master's astonishment.

Li Yuankui squinted as he watched the Azure Lotus Boat easily traverse several hundred-foot-high waves, its hull gleaming brightly amidst the spray.

"At this rate, Jiang Jieyuan will likely surpass others and become the first person to cross this first sea."
The first person to cross the first sea will undoubtedly be the first to reap the most delicious and exotic fruits!

Li Yuankui's heart sank, and he gripped the bronze boat railing tightly with his knuckles turning white, but he did not make a move to stop them.

His gaze shifted to another gilded warship of the [Dafu] class not far away—Li Yiguang, the heir of the Prince of Langya, stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the warship, his python robe and jade belt remaining motionless in the gale.

Prince Li Yiguang of Langya, his python robe billowing, seemed to sense something. He glanced back and coldly stared at the blue lotus flying boat that was cutting through the waves.

Jiang Xingzhou actually caught up with us?
Once one successfully navigates the sea of ​​knowledge, the gains will significantly boost a candidate's abilities, greatly benefiting their chances in the imperial examinations.

He cannot allow Jiang Xingzhou to cross the first sea.

In this way, the other nine top scholars successfully crossed the sea and became stronger, while Jiang Xingzhou would undoubtedly become relatively weaker, making it more difficult for him to compete for the top score in the provincial examination and the top score in the palace examination.

"go with!"

Prince Li Yiguang of Langya immediately tapped his fingertips lightly on the gilded railing, the single word uttered from his lips carrying a chilling intent.

Around them, more than ten scholars, riding their jade carriages, immediately exchanged glances and lowered their eyes in understanding.

These scholars knew perfectly well that with their talents, their chances of successfully crossing the first sea were slim, and even their chances of passing the imperial examination were extremely slim.

It would be better to do the Langya Prince's Mansion a favor!

If I could gain the favor of the Crown Prince, I could secure an official position in Langya Commandery! Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than toiling away in the imperial examinations and waiting for a government post in the Ministry of Personnel?
"boom--"

Suddenly, their ten magical artifacts burst forth with dazzling light.

Some wield bamboo slips that ignite with fiery talent, while others groan under the weight of bronze flying swords.

They appeared to be desperately crossing the sea, but in reality, they were closing in on the Qinglian boat that was traveling on the river.

"careful!
Ah~, no good, my flying sword has gone out of control!

Brothers around, get out of the way quickly!!

A scholar in gray robes, panicked and screamed.

The flying sword beneath his feet suddenly "went out of control" in the hurricane, its blade carrying a sharp, brilliant energy, piercing straight towards the side of the Azure Lotus Boat.

If this collision succeeds, as the flying sword falls, Jiang Xingzhou's flying boat will inevitably lose control in the fierce wind and plunge into the raging waves—and in the turbulent sea of ​​knowledge, those who fall into the water will have no chance of turning back!
The gray-clad man still wore a perfectly measured look of panic on his face; anyone who saw him would think he was just a pitiful person who had lost control due to exhaustion.

Even if Jiang Xingzhou confronts him afterward, he can plead and argue that he was "not strong enough and it was not intentional."

Amidst the waves, Jiang Xingzhou on the Qinglian boat suddenly raised his eyes, glanced at the dozen or so scholars who had approached him, and sneered inwardly.

The boat on the river remained motionless, standing still. [From "On the Love of Lotus" - Flying Boat]

Just as they were about to be hit!
In an instant, golden light shone brightly on the Azure Lotus Boat, and hundreds of crimson lotuses bloomed on its hull. Each lotus leaf was like a piece of jade, unfolding a magnificent scroll amidst the raging waves.

"boom--"

The ten low-grade literary treasures that attacked collided with this magnificent lotus scene the moment they hit it, like a lotus winch or moths drawn to a flame, and exploded directly!

moment,

The gray-clad man's flying sword was the first to shatter, and a tragic blood light burst forth from the cracks in the blade.
The bronze flying sword that followed it peeled off layer by layer like a piece of brittle candy;
The most unbearable bamboo slips transformed directly into countless paper butterflies, burning as they fell into the giant waves.

"No! My Wenxin Sword!"

"help me"

Amidst screams, the ten scholars, like birds with broken wings, plunged into the sea.

Their remains, remnants of their artifacts, floated on the waves, only to be torn apart and devoured by lurking sea beasts in the blink of an eye.

The red lotuses surrounding the Azure Lotus Boat continued to bloom brilliantly, and even the ripples at the stern remained completely undisturbed.

"Is this the power of the [Mingzhou] literary treasure?"

The hundreds of scholars who had gathered were stunned, staring dumbfounded at Jiang Xingzhou's Azure Lotus Flying Boat.

Prince Li Yiguang of Langya turned deathly pale!
More than ten cultural treasures below the level of [Chuxian] shattered instantly before the cultural treasure of [Mingzhou]!
Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, his clothes fluttering, a cold smile playing on his lips.

These dozen or so newly appointed scholars, who had never witnessed the power of the [Mingzhou] literary treasure in their entire lives,
They probably thought that the power of their [Chuxian] and [Mingzhou] artifacts was not much different.

That's a difference of two major grades, like the difference between a firefly and the bright moon!

Those fools who tried to launch a sneak attack were like eggs hitting a rock, overestimating their own strength!
The sea breeze carried the final cries of the dozen or so scholars who had fallen into the sea.

Jiang Xingzhou didn't even flinch—if you dare to launch a sneak attack, you should be prepared to fall into the abyss of learning.

(End of this chapter)