Chapter 28 - Affairs of the Cultivation Examination

People looked toward the runic formation in astonishment.

They witnessed a weed-like plant suddenly grow wildly, its leaves instantly thickening like python snakes, leaping onto an examinee who was attempting to step over the runic formation. Before he could react, the leaves entwined around him tightly.

Nearby Police immediately surrounded the scene, handcuffing the examinee.

The python-like leaves unwound and rapidly shrank back into an inconspicuous weed.

But after witnessing what just happened, no one dared to overlook it.

The Police escorted the person away, yet many people were still inquisitively asking around.

"What happened?"

"Why was that person taken away by the alarm? What occurred?"

Someone well-informed quickly found out the reason: "That person just now was a proxy examinee, discovered while trying to cross the runic formation."

Proxy examination had been relatively common in the past, with the proxies often skilled in the art of disguise. Some particularly adept individuals could even make themselves look exactly like the person they were substituting for, thereby fooling both the runic formation and the invigilator.

However, as cultivation universities strengthened their security measures for the examination and enhanced the sophistication of the runic formations, proxy examination had been effectively curbed.

Still, there were those who harbored hope against hope and took the risk, just like what had just occurred.

After all, the difficulty and allure of getting into a cultivation university were much higher than the college entrance examinations Su Mu had experienced in his past life. It was inevitable that some would choose unorthodox and crooked paths.

Fortunately, this little incident didn't cause too much of a disturbance, and the queue quickly resumed order, continuing towards the examination hall.

Soon it was Su Mu's turn. Holding his examination admission ticket, he strode confidently through the runic formation.

Everything went smoothly, with no melodramatic plot twists occurring.

Upon entering the stadium, Su Mu curiously looked around and found that the entire ground of the stadium was covered with mysterious runes.

These runes projected semi-transparent light screens into the air, displaying the examinees' admission ticket numbers and names. This way, even if the stadium was crowded and vast, examinees could easily find their designated spots.

However, this scene had a bit of a cyberpunk vibe to it...

Su Mu quickly found his name and examination admission ticket number and walked over to stand on a designated rune.

"Examinee identity confirmed."

An emotionless voice rang in Su Mu's ear, and soon after, the light screen above him disappeared.

But Su Mu knew that the rune beneath his feet was still active.

Thanks to his studies of "Five Years of Examination for Cultivation and Three Years of Simulation,"1 he had a detailed understanding of the examination conditions.

The rune under his feet had many functions; it could accurately determine an examinee's spiritual qi value, assess their talent level, and other effects, such as...

Suddenly, another burst of urgent alarm sounds echoed.

About twenty to thirty meters to Su Mu's left front, an examinee looked at the rune beneath his feet with a face full of panic.

Tentacle-like beams of light burst from the runes, gripping the examinee's feet so tightly that he couldn't pull them free, no matter how hard he struggled. It was all in vain.

The examinee was sweating profusely and yelling, "What's happening? I... I didn't do anything. Is... is there something wrong with the runes?"

"You're the one with something wrong, not the runes!"

Someone descended from the sky, landing next to the anxious examinee.

In their hand was a flower resembling a dandelion, only much larger, like an unfurled umbrella.

The invigilator had arrived!

"Teacher, I..."

The examinee tried to explain, but the invigilator had no interest in his excuses. With a wave of his hand, the examinee was silenced, his expression becoming even more frantic, his eyes revealing a mix of fear and despair.

The invigilator raised his hand and linked his wristwatch with the rune beneath the examinee's feet, instantly reading the data and understanding the situation.

His expression darkened as he huffed, "Oh, so you dared to use banned substances for the exam, your qualification for cultivation examination is now revoked!"

Hmm, why does that sound familiar?

Not far away, Su Mu looked somewhat astonished.

He had read "Five Years of Examination for Cultivation and Three Years of Simulation" and knew that the substances banned from the examination were those that could temporarily and artificially increase spiritual qi value.

These substances were not only damaging to the body but also provided a false increase in spiritual qi value. Once the effects wore off, one would be reduced to their actual state.

Despite the explicit bans, many still tested the limits, knowing full well that their true abilities wouldn't meet the spiritual qi value passing threshold. They were willing to take the risk.

Passing with the glamor of a club and models if successful, but resorting to survival in prison if not.2

That's why, despite the fact that every year many examinees are caught cheating, expelled from school, unable to even take the National College Entrance Examination or attend training schools, and even having to spend years in prison, there were still those who gambled on their luck and took the risk.

The examinee caught using banned substances tried to argue, beg for another chance, but the invigilator had sealed his mouth; he was unable to utter a word, not even a stammer.

The invigilator grabbed him and, after blowing on the giant dandelion in his hand, soared into the air, disappearing from the sight of the crowd.

At the same time, various birds appeared in the sky.

There were cranes with feathers as white as snow and luan birds with colorful, beautiful plumage.

They soared high above, their gaze sharp as they scanned over each examinee. They were the invigilators' assistants, the patrollers of the examination venue.

The examinees grew more nervous and behaved themselves, not daring to entertain any thoughts of misconduct.

In the blink of an eye, it was 9 a.m.

Over twenty thousand examinees had entered the stadium, a dense sea of people as far as the eye could see.

Yet, there were still some empty spots among the runes.

Those who hadn't shown up were well aware that their spiritual qi value was too low, so they simply gave up on the cultivation examination to focus on the upcoming National College Entrance Examination.

The pleasant sound of wind chimes rang out again, followed by a clear and resonant broadcaster's voice: "The assessment begins. Please follow the music and practice the 7th Set of National High School Qi Cultivation Technique..."

Examinees, being ordinary people, had learned the Qi Cultivation Technique and generated some spiritual qi, but they did not know how to utilize it properly. It was only during their practice of the Qi Cultivation Technique that they could mobilize and stimulate the spiritual qi within their bodies.

Therefore, to accurately detect their spiritual qi value, they had to practice cultivation on the spot.

As the invigilator's voice faded, the runes beneath each examinee's feet lit up. They held their breath and concentrated, each beginning their cultivation practice.

Su Mu, although he had mastered the perfect version of the Qi Cultivation Technique, did not stand out from the crowd. Instead, he practiced the 7th Set of National High School Qi Cultivation Technique just like everyone else around him.

As the Qi Cultivation Technique session came to an end, so too did the Spiritual Qi Value Assessment.

However, not a single examinee left the stadium. They all looked up at the sky with anxious anticipation.

Su Mu was no different.

They were all waiting for the announcement of the assessment results.

Unlike traditional exams, which require people to grade the papers, the results of the Spiritual Qi Value Assessment could be determined directly through the runes beneath the examinees' feet.

Thus, the results of the Spiritual Qi Value Assessment were always announced immediately.

This year was no exception.

Footnotes:

"Five Years of Examination for Cultivation and Three Years of Simulation"(五年考修三年模拟): This is a play on the famous Chinese study aid "Five Years of College Entrance Exams and Three Years of Simulation,"(五年高考三年模拟) a series of test papers that almost every Chinese student who has taken the Gaokao has completed, leaving a profound impression on every Chinese high school student.

Passing with the glamor of a club and models if successful but resorting to survival in prison if not (过了会所嫩模，不过监狱求活): This Chinese idiom illustrates the high stakes and risky behavior of individuals who, in pursuit of immediate success or pleasure, might resort to illicit means. Success could bring a life of luxury, akin to the indulgence of elite clubs and the company of attractive models, but failure could lead to dire consequences, such as imprisonment and a struggle for basic survival.