Chapter 748: The Preliminary Examination Ends — How Much Remains of the Past?
On the day of the preliminary examination.
Inside the Meditation Chamber of the Research Association.
Amidst the roiling Gang Qi, five figures flickered in and out of view before slowly emerging. They were none other than Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Yu Xinghan, Le Mulan, and Kuang Tianqing.
At this moment, as the Study Demons within their hearts were fully unleashed, a terrifying Study Qi erupted from their bodies, soaring into the heavens as if to devour all the knowledge in the world and conquer every examination in existence.
The Dominating Intent in their eyes was so palpable it seemed to take physical form.
“Test! Test! Test! Test! Test!”
This frenzied thought drove them forward. What question could possibly stop them now? What obstacle could hinder them? Today, their examination scores would skyrocket!
Bai Zhenzhen fixed her gaze on Zhang Yu and declared, “Zhang Yu, in our last battle, you answered two more major questions correctly than I did. Today, in the true preliminary examination, we shall compete again to see who is truly the strongest in the Cram School.”
Zhang Yu looked at Bai Zhenzhen and sneered. “Cram School? Are you satisfied with just being number one in the Cram School? My goal is to be number one in the preliminary examination for layers 1 to 10.”
He stared intently at Bai Zhenzhen, thinking to himself, “This woman… after the Sect Examination ends, I will completely devour her Spirit Root, her Primordial Yin, everything she has, and turn it all into nourishment for my Immortal Dao.”
“Zhang Yu, you must be thinking about how to devour me right now, aren’t you?” At this thought, Bai Zhenzhen’s face flushed, and as her Extreme Emotion Magic Power circulated, she felt an overwhelming sense of excitement.
“And why wouldn’t I be thinking the same?”
“I will pin you down mercilessly and make you my Extreme Emotion Slave, using you to cultivate my Sword Dao every single day!”
Watching this scene from the side, Yu Xinghan thought to himself, “Hmph, the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao will inevitably pit these two powerhouses against each other. When that happens, I’ll reap the rewards like the fisherman in the fable. I’ll seize control of the Evil God and use it to manipulate these two Heavenly Chosen, turning them into my best employees. They’ll work overtime for me every day, pushing me toward the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao.”
“Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Yu Xinghan…” On the other side, Le Mulan laughed silently to herself. “Study, test, fight, snatch. I’ll hide on the sidelines, silently waiting for my chance. One day, I will make Zhang Yu my exclusive resource, and I will be the one to sell off everything he has.”
“A bunch of country bumpkins.” Watching the four individuals, each with their own hidden schemes, Kuang Tianqing sneered inwardly. “I am the true Sect Scion!”
When Zhang Yu and his group of five arrived outside the Examination Field, they paid even less attention to the students already gathered there.
It was as if these elite Heavenly Chosen from various schools were nothing more than academic failures, hopeless cases, and fragile weaklings in their eyes — destined to be utterly crushed and completely annihilated by their scores.
Seeing Zhang Yu and the others appear, True Monarch Starfire’s expression flickered repeatedly.
“Sigh.”
During the recent tutoring sessions, True Monarch Starfire had gradually noticed the changes in Zhang Yu and his companions.
The feeling was especially strong during every mock examination.
“They must have infused themselves with a massive amount of Sect Examination Memories, haven’t they?”
He had also tried to persuade Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan, and the others not to infuse too many Sect Examination Memories. But judging by their steadily rising scores, True Monarch Starfire knew his persuasion had been useless.
“But I can’t blame them.”
“I relied on my sect experience and the foundation I’ve built over the years, and only after studying like a madman did I have a chance to break through the passing score.”
“For Zhang Yu and the others, conventional methods are useless if they want to enter the sect.”
“I just wonder how much of their former selves remains now.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, Wang Yin was anxiously waiting for the preliminary examination to begin.
At this moment, all he wanted was to pass the exam as quickly as possible, leave the lower layers as quickly as possible, and enter the sect as quickly as possible. He felt he couldn’t stand this environment for another second.
“How can they pave roads with cement? There isn’t even a Road of Flesh and Blood! How can I live in such a backwater place?”
In Wang Yin’s eyes, everything about the lower layers was an eyesore. Even the air lacked the sweet fragrance of the sect, making his entire body uncomfortable.
Just then, a cry rang out. A student had collapsed to the ground.
A staff member immediately rushed over. After a quick examination, they sighed in relief and said, “It’s nothing serious. His lifespan is just about to run out.”
The student hurriedly asked, “Then, Teacher, do I still have enough lifespan left to take the exam?”
The staff member calculated the time and replied, “You should make it. In your condition, you probably have two or three months left. So, you plan to take the exam first and get emergency treatment later?”
“I can still live that long? That’s great, that’s great.” The student nodded repeatedly. “Today… nothing is more important than the Sect Examination. Everything must make way for it. As long as I can get into the sect, there will be more advanced Immortal Dao Technology to help me extend my lifespan.”
Not far away, Tian Shengong watched this scene and silently lamented, “Thank goodness I didn’t burn that much of my lifespan.”
Looking at Zhang Yu and the others beside him, Tian Shengong’s eyes couldn’t help but show a trace of relief.
Originally, he too had planned to gamble everything on the exam.
But some news had changed his mind.
As the mock exam scores of more than ten students in the cram school skyrocketed, True Monarch Starfire had also shared some good news with everyone.
Tian Shengong thought to himself, “For this Sect Examination across Levels 1 to 10, aside from the sect-trained candidates in Levels 7 to 10 who are expected to pass, if just five more of the remaining students can succeed… then the Sect Staff Selection Examination will become a regular event in Levels 1 to 10.”
“Five people. As long as five people pass, the Sect Staff Examination in the lower layers will become regular. Then I’ll have plenty of opportunities to prepare for the exam in the future. I won’t need to rush and burn my lifespan.”
Entering the sect with more lifespan would clearly lead to a much brighter future in the Immortal Dao.
So, Tian Shengong stopped burning his lifespan. Instead, he supported Zhang Yu and the others, hoping they would all pass this time.
On the other side, Wen Wuya also silently watched Zhang Yu and the others, thinking, “Go for it, Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen! You have to pass.”
Like Tian Shengong, Wen Wuya had also pinned his hopes on Zhang Yu’s group.
He thought to himself, “Go take the exam, Zhang Yu, Zhenzhen. Tear every single question to shreds. Punch a hole through the sky of these ten levels with your scores.”
Wen Wuya also made up his mind: “If you succeed, I’ll extend my full-time exam preparation by another year! Pass the Sect Examination or die trying!”
Tu Lishan watched Zhang Yu and the others with a complicated expression. Perhaps because he was older and had more memories, the revulsion and disgust that arose within him after infusing the Sect Examination Memories were particularly strong.
This had slowed his infusion process, lessening the impact of the Sect Examination experience on him and giving him a better chance to stop it all.
“Zhang Yu probably anticipated this when he advised us to wait.”
Watching Zhang Yu and the others step into the Examination Field, Tu Lishan sighed inwardly. “Are these guys planning to risk everything to smash open the gates to the sect?”
Tu Lishan knew that if the Sect Examination became regular in the lower layers, it wouldn’t just be a gate for a few people. It would be the gate to the sect for countless cultivators across Levels 1 to 10.
And the price…
Ying Mingchi of Celestial Monsters University sighed inwardly. “Zhang Yu and the others… their wills will be completely twisted. They’ll never be their old selves again.”
“Zhang Yu, my monster race brother, did you tell us not to rush into using the Righteous God’s method just so you could sacrifice yourself to smash open this gate?”
Besides Tu Lishan and Ying Mingchi, many others had also received Zhang Yu’s earlier warning, telling them not to rush into using extreme methods to prepare for this Sect Examination.
However, while some chose to trust him, others, like Wang Yin, stubbornly went their own way.
Wang Yin: “Hmph, Zhang Yu tried to trick me into giving up the Sect Examination. He probably wants to reduce the number of competitors to increase his own chances of getting into the sect.”
“I won’t fall for it.”
“I will definitely pass this exam!”
Meanwhile, messages began to appear in Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye.
Ye Xingli: “Good luck, Senior Brother!”
Bei Wufeng: “True Monarch, take care.”
Mo Jin: “Thank you, True Monarch.”
Lian Tianji: “True Monarch, I believe you will definitely pass.”
Over the past period, while preparing for the Sect Examination, Lian Tianji had watched as students guided by the New Principal underwent strange transformations, willingly working for him for free and even offering him everything they had.
Despite this, Lian Tianji couldn’t suppress her own desperate desire for the Sect Examination and had considered accepting the Principal’s guidance.
It was Zhang Yu’s persuasion that made her abandon the idea of accepting the Principal’s guidance. She decided to trust Zhang Yu, not to rush, and to rely on her own steady efforts, diligently practicing questions every day to prepare for future Sect Examinations.
As the messages flashed before his eyes, Zhang Yu’s face twisted with disdain. He couldn’t be bothered to reply.
“A bunch of losers and paupers.”
He scrolled up through each person’s chat history, seeing the Spirit Coins they had transferred to him over this period.
Ye Xingli: 300 Spirit Coins Bei Wufeng: 200 Spirit Coins Mo Jin: 120 Spirit Coins Shi Huaiyu: 50 Spirit Coins Ying Xin: 20 Spirit Coins
Looking at these transfer notifications, a satisfied smile finally spread across Zhang Yu’s face. “A bunch of idiots, swayed by just a few words from me. Not only did they give up the Sect Examination, but they even transferred money to support my attempt.”
“As expected, I am destined to join the sect and ruthlessly exploit you paupers.”
After adding everyone who had transferred less than 10 Spirit Coins to the “Do Not Disturb Pauper Group,” Zhang Yu strode into the Examination Field with his head held high.
The first test of the preliminary examination, for both the Nascent Soul Group and the Golden Core Group, was to assess each candidate’s cultivation.
From basic stats to Nascent Soul performance, and mastery of various cultivation arts and abilities, the test assessed a cultivator’s comprehensive strength on the Immortal Dao.
After three months of cultivation, Zhang Yu’s Dao Heart had reached Level 40 (100%), and his physical strength had broken through to the maximum of Level 40.00.
His Magic Power remained at 85,983 units, steadily approaching the Nascent Soul Stage peak of 100,000.
However, Zhang Yu knew that personal cultivation didn’t account for much of the preliminary examination score. Even if he performed exceptionally well, the score increase would be limited.
The true keys to this stage were the upcoming Sect Morality Test and Sect Staff Aptitude Test.
As his consciousness entered the Spirit Realm Illusionary Realm, Zhang Yu knew the real examination had begun.
Due to the large number of participants and the complexity of the exam questions, the Illusionary Realm’s operation was intricate. Deng Bingding, newly promoted to Fifth-Rank Righteous God, was also serving as a proctor.
While numerous Righteous Gods were proctoring, Deng Bingding sensed streams of consciousness descending from the upper realms, entering the first to tenth layers of the Spirit Realm.
Deng Bingding understood. These were consciousnesses from the sects — the examiners for this Sect Examination, tasked with grading the candidates in the Illusionary Realm.
Lu Xuanzhi was the examiner sent by the Myriad Laws Sect for this round.
He had never wanted to be involved in such matters.
“How could a prestigious Sect Examination be held in Layers 1-10?” In his eyes, the candidates from those layers weren’t even worthy of being called human, so what right did they have to take the Sect Examination?
But under the arrangements of the Heavenly Court and the sects, Lu Xuanzhi, no matter how reluctant, had to accept the assignment and grade these beings from the lower layers — creatures he didn’t even consider human.
Countless scenes from the Illusionary Realm appeared before his eyes. His thoughts raced as he rapidly judged and scored one candidate after another.
“Hmm? Hesitating to pay to work for the sect? With such little resolve, how can you achieve the Great Dao? How can you contribute to the sect? Zero points.”
Meanwhile, an examiner from the Netherworld Palace fixed his gaze on Wang Yin within the Illusionary Realm.
He was undergoing interrogation. As long as he refused to yield, Zhang Yu in the Illusionary Realm would continuously receive money transfers, promotions, and advancements — even after becoming a sect disciple, he would continue to rise effortlessly.
Watching Wang Yin’s eyes turn bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and held on, the examiner nodded slightly. “Excellent stress resistance. Within the sect, Heavenly Chosen are as common as rain. It won’t do if you can’t withstand even this minor pressure.”
In the eyes of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s examiner, Kuang Tianqing was undergoing the Sect Morality Test in the Illusionary Realm.
Amidst a crisis, everyone else rushed forward, but Kuang Tianqing took a step out and roared, “Everyone, halt!”
“What are you all fighting for? I can’t trust these brats with something this important.”
“All those with a Sect Examination score of 600 or higher, step forward!”
“Retreat with me! The rest of you, cover our rear!”
“In this crisis, only scores matter.”
The examiner nodded slightly. “To think there’s still such a man of the Dao in the lower layers.”
In the eyes of the Heavenly Sword Sect’s examiner, Bai Zhenzhen received her salary slip but didn’t look at it. She received a bonus transfer and still didn’t look.
Her Extreme Emotion Sword Qi surged as she declared loudly, “The true object of my Extreme Emotion Sword Dao is the Heavenly Sword Sect! I love only the Heavenly Sword Sect!”
“It is my love for the sect that makes me infinitely strong!”
“As long as I can stay in the sect, I will have limitless Magic Power, boundless motivation, and can work until I die!”
“Salary slips, bonuses — I never look at them.”
The examiner nodded in satisfaction. “To think there’s someone in the Lower Realm who loves the sect so deeply, who has grasped the true essence of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao on their own.”
“My Sword Dao leads to the heavens. How could it be confined by petty love and affection?”
“Only love for the sect and the sect gate is true, great love.”
Lu Xuanzhi’s gaze swept over the candidates taking the Myriad Laws Sect’s examination.
Suddenly, his eyes paused on Yu Xinghan’s figure.
In the Illusionary Realm, Yu Xinghan had unhesitatingly given up a salary increase just to be closer to the leader’s office.
“As long as I can be a little closer to the leader’s office, that’s all that matters.”
“Even if I do nothing all day but watch the leader hold meetings, listen to what he says, and observe what he does, I can feel my cultivation advancing.”
Lu Xuanzhi was somewhat surprised. “These vermin from the Lower Realm… their Dao Hearts are clouded by desire, every one of them utterly fixated on money. They’ve long since lost all semblance of the Immortal Dao’s grace. Yet, to think that amidst this foul miasma, someone could actually overcome even a sliver of their desire for wealth.”
Lu Xuanzhi nodded, then his attention was drawn to Zhang Yu on another screen.
Zhang Yu sat behind his desk, addressing his employees. “Giving you a raise isn’t just about you and me, or even our factory and company. It’s about the greater situation of the entire world. We must consider whether other enterprises can bear it.”
“If my selfish act of raising your salary ruins the business environment, I would be a sinner for all eternity.”
Lu Xuanzhi grew even more surprised. “Another one?”
“To refuse a raise out of public-spiritedness and consideration for the bigger picture, rather than for the sake of one’s own family or personal gain… This person already possesses a hint of Dao nature, a semblance of humanity.”
In the subsequent tests, Zhang Yu’s performance astonished Lu Xuanzhi even more.
“Outstanding moral character, excellent sect administrative abilities.”
“Especially in the final open-ended questions, his ideas were wildly imaginative…”
Lu Xuanzhi’s eyes flickered, recalling the scene of Zhang Yu solving a department budget shortfall within the Illusionary Realm.
“Since you’ve seen Blazing Light, why not take a loan?”
The next Illusionary Realm question was based on a trending real-world issue, requiring candidates to raise funds for Heaven Mending during a Heaven Collapse Crisis.
Zhang Yu’s performance in this scenario was even more dazzling to Lu Xuanzhi.
“At the pinnacle of debt, I lend to the world! With me, Blazing Light, here, I am the heavens!”
For a moment, even Lu Xuanzhi felt an urge to amass wealth. “This man is a master of fundraising.”
Gazing at the blurred figure of Zhang Yu on the screen, Lu Xuanzhi grew increasingly curious about his identity.
Unfortunately, as an examiner, all identifying information was automatically censored during grading. For instance, the name “Blazing Light” would be replaced with a beep, preventing him from seeing any details about the candidate’s identity.
Lu Xuanzhi wondered, “Could this kid be one of the sect’s arranged Reincarnation Candidates? Those who reincarnated into the Lower Realm?”
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that his guess was correct. Without hesitation, he gave Zhang Yu a high score.
As the examination concluded, candidates began filing out of the Examination Field.
Most of them looked grim, their minds replaying the questions they had just faced, their own performances and reactions, followed by silent sighs.
“Sigh, I think I messed up.”
“Too slow. My reactions were too slow. I didn’t solve enough questions.”
“Is this the Sect Examination? Why is it so difficult?”
Tian Shengong, though no longer burning his Lifespan and believing he would likely fail this Sect Examination, had still taken the preliminary test to gain experience.
After finishing, he recalled the day’s questions and sighed inwardly. “This was much harder than the practice exams. Every question took far more thought than I usually spend. Did the sect deliberately increase the difficulty?”
But amidst the crowd of dejected candidates, a few stood out, their faces radiating confidence and pride.
“Too easy,” Zhang Yu thought to himself. “This preliminary examination should be no problem.”
Just then, Jin Jun walked over and said, “True Monarch, how did you do on the exam?”
A thought flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind. As his mind processed the data, a line of text appeared: “Jin Jun, Golden Core Stage, transferred 30 Spirit Coins, average practice exam score 102.”
“Useless trash.”
Zhang Yu shot the man a cold glance, then turned and walked away without another word.
When more candidates like Ye Xingli, Bei Wufeng, and Tu Lishan approached, Zhang Yu simply soared into the sky and left directly.
As a future sect disciple, Zhang Yu had no intention of socializing downward. Ignoring everyone who tried to approach him, he hurried back to his Meditation Chamber.
Reading the messages from the others, he thought to himself, “These people seem to trust me quite a bit. Hmph… Before I head to the sect, I’ll borrow a round of money from them to buy Immortal Dao resources. I’ll take as much as I can to the sect and use up whatever I can’t carry.”
“And not just them. I should also find a chance to start on the work Yun Zhiguang arranged for me.”
“And my companies… I should find a way to strip their valuable assets and secretly sell them to those sect disciples…”
As for repaying the ten billion of Spirit Coins in bonds? Zhang Yu didn’t give it a second thought.
“It’s not like I’m not repaying them. I’ll just repay them slowly, in installments. If those paupers don’t have the lifespan to wait for the company to pay them back, that’s their own fault for being too poor.”
At that moment, Zhang Yu felt his mind buzzing with activity. One brilliant, devious idea after another surfaced. He planned to squeeze every last drop of value from everything he could before heading to the sect, ensuring he would enter in the best possible condition.
In a flash, he arrived at his Meditation Chamber, ready to begin cultivating immediately.
But just as the chamber doors sealed shut, a surge of Gang Qi erupted from within his body, completely engulfing him.
The next instant, monstrous hands burst from his flesh, binding him from head to toe.
“What?!”
He roared, about to resist, but then he saw the real Zhang Yu emerge from his chest and abdomen. The real Zhang Yu then tapped a finger on his forehead.
Watching his Sect Examination Clone’s memories being sealed away, bringing it once again under his complete control, Zhang Yu let out a small sigh of relief.
“Infusing it with too many Sect Examination Memories has made it much harder to control.”
During this time, he had gathered a massive amount of Sect Examination Memories through the Righteous God’s channels and by assisting Yu Xinghan, Kuang Tianqing, Bai Zhenzhen, and Le Mulan.
Using this vast trove of memories as nourishment, Zhang Yu had pushed his Underworld Soul-Washing Scripture further, steadily advancing toward Level 40.
Zhang Yu shook his head, but he couldn’t help but recall the Sect Examination Clone’s recent schemes.
As his cultivation progressed, the various resources he had purchased were rapidly depleted. The Spirit Coin accounts of Divine Monarch Magnetic Pole, Divine Monarch Greenwood, and Divine Monarch Nether Spring were constantly being drained, and he had already spent more than half of their funds.
“Cultivation at the Nascent Soul Realm is already incredibly expensive. Add an Immortal Sect Technique to the mix, and the Spirit Coins vanish even faster.”
At that moment, Zhang Yu’s thoughts turned once more to the benefits Yun Zhiguang had promised.
“If I could really become the Myriad Laws Principal, then the richest person below the 10th layer… with that foundation and those qualifications, finding an opportunity to join a sect would indeed be a promising path.”
Zhang Yu could imagine it: with sufficient funds, resources, and power, his cultivation would become incredibly smooth. He would almost never have to worry about a shortage of Immortal Dao resources again, and he would possess an incomparably deep Immortal Dao foundation.
At this thought, Zhang Yu immediately shook his head, thinking inwardly, “No, I’m being influenced by that clone’s ideas.”
Suppressing the distracting thoughts, he sighed. “Alas, the temptation of material wealth is everywhere. As long as one walks the Kunxu Immortal Dao, there’s no one who doesn’t want to be rich, who doesn’t dream of striking it big.”
“Besides the material, there’s also the spiritual.”
Thinking about the influence of the Sect Examination Memories during this time, Zhang Yu mused, “A massive amount of Sect Examination Memories is enough to completely warp a person’s personality, beliefs, and character… It’s a form of spiritual corrosion.”
“On the Kunxu Immortal Dao, resisting this dual corrosion of the material and the spiritual… is nearly impossible.”
“Good thing I’m cheating.”