Chapter 749: Re-examination
Shortly after Zhang Yu sealed the Sect Examination Memories and returned to his normal state, he sent a message to Le Mulan.
Zhang Yu: “Come over. I’ll give you 100 Spirit Coins.”
Le Mulan: “Money first.”
Zhang Yu cursed inwardly. “This Sect Selection Examination really turns people into monsters. Where did the old Le Mulan go — the one who would help without asking for Spirit Coins?”
Zhang Yu: “[100 Spirit Coins]”
But after Le Mulan received the 100 Spirit Coins, she didn’t come over.
When Zhang Yu messaged her again, she replied: “Another 100.”
Zhang Yu fumed, “What the hell… This girl’s asking for more than the Sect Examination Clone did! Did she overdose on Sect Examination Memories?”
“If I keep paying like this, who knows how many Spirit Coins and how much time I’ll waste…”
So Zhang Yu activated the passive plan he had prepared earlier. He was confident this method would definitely get Le Mulan to come.
A moment later, the room door swung open, and Le Mulan rushed in eagerly. “Zhang Yu? Is it true? You’re really letting me take it for free? All-you-can-take within an hour? As much as I want?”
Seeing Le Mulan’s eyes sparkling with excitement, practically itching to get started, Zhang Yu gave a helpless smile and tapped her on the forehead.
The next moment, the Sect Examination Memories in Le Mulan’s mind were sealed one by one.
As her eyes gradually regained their clarity, Zhang Yu knew she had returned to normal.
Coming to her senses, Le Mulan looked at Zhang Yu, her face flushing crimson with shame. “I… I can pay for it. I didn’t mean to take it for free.”
“What the hell…” Zhang Yu thought. “Even after this Kunxu native has returned to ‘normal,’ she’s still not quite right in my eyes.”
Zhang Yu could only shake his head and reassure her, “You were just influenced by the Sect Examination Memories, letting your thoughts run wild. Don’t worry about it.”
Meanwhile, in a Meditation Chamber, Kuang Tianqing was seizing every moment to cultivate.
“I’ve definitely passed the preliminary examination! Next up are the re-examination and the interview.”
“I must join the sect and escape this cesspool below for good.”
To Kuang Tianqing, who possessed countless years of Sect Examination experience, everything below the 11th level was an utter cesspool. Every second spent here made him sick to his stomach.
He must enter the Heavenly Demon Sect — only there was his true home.
But just then, the door to the Meditation Chamber abruptly opened.
Seeing Zhang Yu walk into his room, Kuang Tianqing was startled. “How can he open my door?”
He had completely forgotten that he had given Zhang Yu the room’s password and access permissions.
The next moment, Kuang Tianqing’s vision blurred. He found himself held in Zhang Yu’s palm, and then a finger tapped his brow.
With a furious roar, Kuang Tianqing struggled to resist.
But how could his Golden Core Realm cultivation possibly stand against Zhang Yu’s Nascent Soul Stage power?
Kuang Tianqing felt an icy chill spread from his brow, and countless Sect Examination Memories began to fade from his mind.
As the memories vanished, his struggles gradually ceased.
After a long while, when Kuang Tianqing came to his senses again, he had already deactivated the alarms on his Bionic Body and the various magical artifacts in the room.
Looking at Zhang Yu, Kuang Tianqing smiled faintly and extended an invitation: “Would you like to dual cultivate with me?”
Zhang Yu’s response was to once again activate the Underworld Soul-Washing Scripture, unsealing a vast amount of Kuang Tianqing’s past-life memories.
It turned out that to pass the preliminary examination, Kuang Tianqing had not only infused himself with a vast amount of Sect Examination Memories but had also asked Zhang Yu to temporarily seal most of his past-life memories, leaving only a tiny fraction to prevent the two sets from conflicting.
After all, the Sect Examination Memories were completely aligned with the current Heavenly Demon Sect’s ideology, while Kuang Tianqing’s original past-life memories were deeply ingrained with his ancient beliefs. The two were in direct, violent conflict.
Now, with his past-life memories fully unsealed, Kuang Tianqing’s expression changed drastically. Recalling his recent invitation to Zhang Yu, a wave of revulsion washed over him.
“Huuu…”
Exhaling deeply, Kuang Tianqing looked at Zhang Yu, his eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Zhang Yu.”
“Once we’re in the sect, if you need my help with anything, just ask.”
Zhang Yu reminded him, “Before the Sect Examination ends, try to avoid interacting with others. We don’t want anyone noticing anything unusual about you and causing unnecessary trouble.”
When Zhang Yu arrived at Yu Xinghan’s room, he found him standing rigid and motionless, as if bound by some unseen force, struggling constantly.
As Zhang Yu pressed a finger to the point between Yu Xinghan’s eyebrows and began sealing his Sect Examination Memories, a figure gradually emerged from behind Yu Xinghan, wrapping its arms around him from behind and restraining him.
This figure had an identical appearance to Yu Xinghan. Zhang Yu knew it was the clone created by the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art.
Besides Kuang Tianqing, while managing the Sect Examination Memories for Bai Zhenzhen, Yu Xinghan, and Le Mulan, Zhang Yu had also passed the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art to them, allowing them to cultivate it secretly. However, their progress varied.
This black art could refine clones. Besides aiding cultivation and significantly boosting training speed, these clones could also be used in conjunction with Zhang Yu’s Underworld Soul-Washing Scripture to handle the Sect Examination Memories with greater ease.
For instance, before Zhang Yu’s arrival, Yu Xinghan had already suppressed his clone, preventing it from losing control and causing trouble.
As his cultivation in the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art deepened, his ability to suppress the Sect Examination Clone would only grow stronger.
Watching Yu Xinghan successfully reabsorb the Sect Examination Clone with his help, Zhang Yu asked, “Do you remember what you reviewed for the Sect Examination?”
Yu Xinghan replied, “I don’t remember.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Do you still remember how many years you spent reviewing?”
Yu Xinghan shook his head again. “I don’t remember.”
Zhang Yu smiled faintly. “Looks like there are no problems.”
“Remember, for the next period of time, try to avoid contact with outsiders as much as possible.”
Yu Xinghan’s body shuddered, and a True Clone emerged from within him.
As his Third Eye Mystic Power swept over the clone’s form, he could seemingly perceive the flow of every strand of Magic Power and the surge of every wisp of Gang Qi within it.
Aided by his Third Eye Mystic Power, he felt himself improving just by watching the clone perform martial arts.
Thinking about the new ability his Third Eye had recently mastered, Yu Xinghan felt even more confident about the upcoming re-examination.
Meanwhile, after reminding Yu Xinghan of the subsequent arrangements, Zhang Yu left the room and headed toward Bai Zhenzhen’s location.
Zhang Yu had saved Bai Zhenzhen for last because she was the one least likely to lose control.
When Zhang Yu arrived at Bai Zhenzhen’s room, he saw her Sect Examination Clone hog-tied and lying face down on the floor.
Bai Zhenzhen herself was sitting on the clone’s back, waiting for Zhang Yu’s arrival.
Upon seeing Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen patted the Sect Examination Clone’s shoulder and said, “Yu Zi, hurry up and seal her memories. I can’t stand this one anymore.”
The Sect Examination Clone pinned beneath her shouted, “Yu Zi! Hurry and save me! I want to reverse the sterilization surgery and cultivate properly with you! She won’t let me!”
“A naive girl like her won’t last long in the sect! I’m your best asset! We can engage in frenzied dual cultivation every day, then sell our bloodline descendants for profit! That’s the true path of the Immortal Dao!”
“No! Don’t erase all my years of accumulated Sect Examination review! I’d rather forget everything else than lose this!”
As the Sect Examination Clone struggled repeatedly, Zhang Yu sealed all its Sect Examination Memories. Finally, Bai Zhenzhen regained complete control over the clone.
Watching this, Bai Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief. “The preliminary examination should be fine now, right?”
Zhang Yu nodded. “Hurry and prepare for the re-examination.”
As he spoke, Zhang Yu embraced her from behind. His Divine Spirit Root trembled slightly before entering her Dantian.
Feeling the True Spirit Root and Feather Spirit Root intertwining within her Dantian, filling her lower abdomen, Bai Zhenzhen hummed softly and said, “Are you sure you don’t need the Feather Spirit Root for your re-examination?”
Zhang Yu replied, “The re-examination in two weeks tests professional skills. I applied to the Edict Pavilion, which focuses on approving and verifying cultivation art copyrights. It doesn’t require any combat ability.”
“On the other hand, the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Sky Patrol Station you applied for is dedicated to responding to, neutralizing, and containing calamities. The professional test will almost certainly involve combat.”
“With the combined support of the Feather Spirit Root and the True Spirit Root, your chances of success will be even higher.”
Bai Zhenzhen nodded slightly. She knew Zhang Yu was right and didn’t feign modesty. She accepted the Feather Spirit Root and began cultivating silently, waiting to astound everyone in the re-examination’s professional test.
As for the preliminary examination? They were both supremely confident they would pass.
Under the enhancement of her Dual Spirit Root and the Myriad Transformations Self-Sovereign Art, Bai Zhenzhen’s cultivation speed soared, improving with nearly every passing moment.
The next day, the preliminary examination results were posted, proving their confidence was well-founded. Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Yu Xinghan, Le Mulan, and Kuang Tianqing — all five of them — passed the interview.
Besides them, several other teachers and students from the Cram School also passed the preliminary examination, including True Monarch Starfire and Wang Yin. Their success drew the attention and envy of countless others.
Elsewhere, Yun Zhiguang shook her head slightly as she read the news. “What a pity.”
In her view, for Zhang Yu to pass the preliminary examination in such a short time, he must have resorted to some unorthodox, heretical methods. Even if he managed to enter the sect, his future potential would surely be greatly diminished.
Besides, Yun Zhiguang didn’t think Zhang Yu could pass the subsequent re-examination and interview.
“After all, the Edict Pavilion is a highly sought-after position. Someone else has already applied this time, right?”
The person Yun Zhiguang referred to was a Reincarnated Disciple from the Tenth Layer. As the sect’s pre-selected candidate, they had also chosen the Edict Pavilion.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Zhang Yu and the others almost completely cut off contact with their former classmates and teachers, focusing single-mindedly on preparing for the re-examination.
As the re-examination officially began, the light and shadows before Zhang Yu shifted, and he found himself in a Spirit Realm Classroom.
He sat down at a desk and looked at the exam paper on it without surprise.
He knew this was the written portion of the re-examination’s first half; he had simulated similar experiences countless times.
Flipping open the paper and seeing the questions about Immortal Dao techniques, Zhang Yu let out a soft breath and began answering.
He understood that the written test was designed to assess his comprehensive knowledge of the Immortal Dao.
After all, the Edict Pavilion, as the authority for approving cultivation art copyrights, dealt with an all-encompassing range of techniques. The expertise of its members covered nearly every research field currently studied by the Myriad Laws Sect.
“Maybe after I get in, I’ll only be responsible for approving basic-grade martial arts.”
Zhang Yu sighed inwardly. “But during the written exam, they expect me to know everything about martial arts, daoist arts, artifact refinement, talismans… It’s like they test you on building a rocket, but the job is just tightening screws.”
The written exam was vast and incredibly difficult. Even with Zhang Yu’s high-quality accumulation of cultivation art knowledge, he found it quite challenging.
However, Zhang Yu wasn’t bothered. He knew the written test was designed this way — to use high difficulty to differentiate candidates’ comprehensive abilities and push them to their limits. It was normal not to be able to answer some questions.
From Qi Refining in high school to his current Master’s-level Nascent Soul Realm, Zhang Yu had mastered over a hundred martial and daoist arts.
He had diligently practiced each of these techniques, investing money, lifespan, sweat, and effort until they were firmly ingrained in his mind.
As the written exam progressed, memories of cultivating each technique surfaced in his mind, reminding him of the countless days and nights spent in arduous practice.
Now, nearly a decade of bitter cultivation — the accumulation of countless days and nights — finally transformed into a powerful driving force, poised to propel Zhang Yu into the sect.
After finishing the written exam, light and shadow flickered before Zhang Yu’s eyes, and he found himself back in the real world.
Following the guidance of a Spirit Realm Projection, Zhang Yu arrived at another Examination Field.
Here, he would undergo the second half of the re-examination: the practical test, which was the crucial part of the entire process.
However, the content of the practical test varied, and Zhang Yu had no idea what he would be assessed on until it began.
“But no matter what, the practical test will assess skills needed for actual work in the Edict Pavilion. I should be fine.”
Noticing he was the only one in the Examination Field, Zhang Yu thought, “Am I the only one on this layer applying for the Edict Pavilion? I wonder if anyone else across layers 1 to 10 is competing with me for a spot.”
As Zhang Yu pondered, the air before him rippled slightly, and several Spirit Realm Projections materialized.
His gaze sharpened as he read the exam content displayed on them. “This is…”
The first thing projected before Zhang Yu was a choice of testing focus.
After a moment’s thought, he selected “Martial Arts.”
After all, martial arts were what he had mastered the most, accumulated the most knowledge in, and found easiest to cultivate. An assessment in this area should be his strongest suit.
The next moment, hundreds of light screens materialized before Zhang Yu, each projecting a portion of a cultivation art’s content.
Zhang Yu looked at the test rules projected to the side and thought, “This is… they’ve taken 10 martial arts and split each one into 10 parts. So, 10 martial arts… have been broken down into 100 fragments, projected onto these 100 light screens.”
His gaze swept across the screens, sensing that each one contained a partial segment of a cultivation art.
His task was to reassemble these 100 fragments into 10 complete martial arts within the allotted six hours and write an approval report for each.
Understanding the rules, Zhang Yu didn’t hesitate and immediately walked toward the light screens.
“The first step of this exam is also the most crucial. If you miss this step…”
“If you get the first step wrong, you’re eliminated on the spot.”
Lu Xuanzhi from the Myriad Laws Sect was watching this test through the Spirit Realm Network.
Just like the preliminary examination, the re-examination candidates’ information was completely concealed, preventing Lu Xuanzhi from identifying them.
Watching Zhang Yu’s projection walk up to a light screen and sign his name, Lu Xuanzhi nodded slightly. “The first step is to sign the contract, ensuring that all cultivation art content and copyrights encountered during this exam are used only for this exam.”
“Hmph, the Edict Pavilion is the department for cultivation art copyright approval, so they’re extremely strict about copyright management. If you can’t even think of this, if you have no concept of copyright protection, how could you possibly work in the Edict Pavilion?”
As Zhang Yu signed the contract, two projections on Lu Xuanzhi’s screen vanished. They were candidates who had started browsing the cultivation art content without signing the contract first.
Lu Xuanzhi understood that these two candidates had been eliminated on the spot.
Now, only three candidates remained in the Edict Pavilion’s re-examination.
“Did all three of them choose the martial dao direction?”
Lu Xuanzhi wasn’t surprised. Compared to the vast and all-encompassing daoist arts, martial arts were easier to learn and accumulate, and this direction produced the most cultivation art experts.
His gaze swept past Zhang Yu and settled on another candidate.
True Monarch Profound Excellence was a candidate from the Tenth Layer.
Within his family and sect, there were many seniors who had gone to the sect and participated in outsourced work for the sect.
True Monarch Profound Excellence had cultivated all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm, inspired by the stories his seniors told about the sect.
As the saying goes, “Ten years as an outsourced worker, a lifetime of devotion to the sect.” In his family, everyone, from the elders to the youngest members, studied and imitated the sect’s lifestyle and cultivation methods.
As an expert in martial dao research, he had always harbored one wish: to join the sect.
So when he learned about the Sect Examination, True Monarch Profound Excellence was ecstatic. He immediately resigned from his job at the mega-corporation and dedicated himself entirely to preparing for the exam.
Thanks to his previous accumulation of knowledge, he successfully passed the preliminary examination and reached the re-examination.
But now, as he stared at the 100 light screens before him, each displaying the content of a cultivation art, True Monarch Profound Excellence grew increasingly nervous the more he read.
“This is too difficult… The difficulty of these ten cultivation arts is far too high.”
As a martial dao expert from a mega-corporation, Profound Excellence had reviewed countless martial dao techniques in his life, and he was certain of one thing: “I haven’t learned a single one of these ten cultivation arts.”
Staring at the content on one of the light screens, Profound Excellence’s heart pounded. “And… isn’t this part of a mental cultivation technique? Why are mental cultivation techniques mixed in here?”
He knew that martial dao mental cultivation techniques were among the hardest to verify without personal practice. And if one did practice them… they often clashed with one’s own existing mental cultivation technique.
“Is this the standard of the Edict Pavilion?”
A flicker of regret crossed Profound Excellence’s mind. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have applied for this position.”
Meanwhile, Lu Xuanzhi watched Profound Excellence’s actions and shook his head. “He’s spending too much time on the mental cultivation technique.”
“Mental cultivation techniques are all about innate understanding. You either get it or you don’t. They rely more on talent and martial intuition than on accumulated knowledge.”
“This is the first major hurdle of this test.”
Silently, Lu Xuanzhi mentally disqualified True Monarch Profound Excellence. His gaze then shifted to another figure.
True Monarch Martial Village was a reincarnated cultivator from the 11th Level.
In his previous life, he had spent thirty years preparing for the Sect Examination, only to fail miserably.
The competition was simply too fierce. Even after pushing his talent, potential, and abilities to their absolute limits, he still couldn’t match the monstrous geniuses from the upper levels.
Thus, through a stroke of fate, Wuxiang accepted a mission arranged by the sect and reincarnated on the 10th Level of Kunxu, silently preparing for the Sect Examination from birth.
“Life can be reborn, but the Sect Examination is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
True Monarch Martial Village knew that if he missed this Sect Examination, he might never get another chance to join the sect.
For this Sect Examination, he had exhausted all the resources from his previous life to grant himself astonishing martial dao innate talent in this one.
For this Sect Examination, his entire life had been dedicated either to practicing martial arts or delving into the martial dao. He hadn’t worked a single day since graduating with his doctorate.
Work, overtime, bonuses, salary, career prospects… he had abandoned them all.
Because this involved the sect’s strategic deployment, True Monarch Martial Village dared not reveal the truth to anyone. He bore the incomprehension of his family, the criticism of his sect, and the estrangement of his peers all alone.
His heart held only one goal… the Sect Examination!
Once the pride of his family, he had clashed severely with them and his elders year after year as he prepared for the examination.
“If you’re not going to work, what are you going to do?”
“What’s the point of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm if you don’t earn any money?!”
“If you don’t find a job soon, I’ll dismantle you piece by piece and sell you for parts!”
Fortunately, with the help of several other reincarnated cultivators, True Monarch Martial Village managed to endure.
But the terrifying pressure of unemployment still weighed heavily on his mind, making him more anxious with each passing year.
As the years passed, the legendary lower layers Sect Examination remained unannounced, making True Monarch Martial Village increasingly tense.
The moment the Sect Examination was finally announced, tears streamed down his face.
“Sixty-six years unemployed, all for this one chance to soar to the heavens!”
In the Examination Field, True Monarch Martial Village’s figure flickered as he pulled together one light screen after another.
For years, he had simulated the Sect Examination daily, mimicking the work of the Edict Pavilion, his mind filled with the martial dao techniques he had mastered in his previous life.
His profound martial dao accumulation made the hundreds of light screens before him crystal clear. The content of every cultivation art, every light screen, was vividly apparent.
“These ten cultivation arts all emphasize intent over force, magic over moves. They have almost no forms, only various methods of channeling energy.”
“Without forms, it’s extremely difficult for others to distinguish between the cultivation arts. But for me… it’s no problem.”
Lu Xuanzhi watched True Monarch Martial Village rapidly differentiate the cultivation arts and nodded slightly. “The lack of forms for differentiation is the second difficulty of this test. To combine cultivation arts based on their energy channeling methods requires a deep understanding of how martial arts operate.”
“But that’s not the hardest part.”
Lu Xuanzhi smiled faintly and thought, “The true difficulty of this test lies in the fact that these ten cultivation arts were originally a single art, forcibly split into ten separate martial arts.”
“Theoretically, any combination of these cultivation arts can form a functional version that can even be executed.”
“However, only one combination is the true version, split by the founder himself — the most optimal combination.”
“Let’s see who among you gets closest to the correct answer.”
Meanwhile, in another section of the Examination Field, Zhang Yu had already memorized the contents of all the cultivation arts from the hundreds of light screens.
Drawing on his own martial dao accumulation and using sixteen simultaneous streams of consciousness to deduce, he continuously combined the cultivation arts.
Finally, the name of a martial art appeared on his Feather Book.
“Martial One?” Zhang Yu thought. “What a strange name.”
Then his gaze shifted as he saw the name of the Chain Method Diagram Set to which this martial art belonged.
“Formless Martial Art?”