Chapter 163: Dao Ancestor Descends

Once the feeling came, he wrote naturally fast.

Before noon, Yin Qi had already finished writing and copied it onto the examination paper.

He signaled the patrolling soldiers to hand in the paper.

But he couldn't leave yet.

Because according to the imperial examination regulations, one can hand in the paper early, but one must wait until the exam ends to leave the Examination Hall.

So, Yin Qi simply closed his eyes to rest, continuing to repeatedly deliberate on the "holographic projection live broadcast" plan in his mind to ensure there were no flaws.

Shortly after Yin Qi handed in his paper, Hong Yi also handed in his, and then people handed in their papers one after another.

Inside the chief examiner's room sat several examiners in official robes.

The chief examiner was named Li Shenguang, a famous minister of the current dynasty and Minister of Rites.

He said to several deputy examiners: "It's already noon; there should be scholars with quick wits handing in their papers. You go and see, bring the papers over, and we will grade them first."

"Yes, my lord!"

Several deputy examiners nodded hurriedly and walked out of the chief examiner's room.

Soon, they hurried back.

They held a stack of papers, opened the seals, and spread them on the table for Li Shenguang to grade.

"Hmm? This essay talks extensively about benevolence, righteousness, rituals, and laws; it seems resolute and vigorous, but those who speak big principles in their mouths are all hypocrites."

"This essay has gorgeous rhetoric and is refreshing, but it is empty of substance."

Li Shenguang was very fast.

He read several essays and shook his head; he didn't see any he was satisfied with.

"Eh, what kind of font is this!"

Li Shenguang suddenly exclaimed in surprise, and several deputy examiners also crowded around to look.

I saw that on the neat paper, the characters were like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, the dots and strokes were thick and full, and the structure was broad and upright; it was actually a font that had never appeared before.

Yan style; this world didn't have it.

"Looking at the characters is like looking at the person; this person's calligraphy is so resolute and atmospheric, he must be a person with a vast mind."

Li Shenguang was pleasantly surprised and hurriedly buried his head in grading.

Tie Jing and Mo Yi were all correct.

The two poems also had beautiful artistic conceptions, making people have endless aftertastes.

Especially the policy question, the breaking of the topic "Governing by virtue is like the North Star, staying in its place while all stars revolve around it" made one's spirit shake; it seemed to see a brilliant and benevolent world, with everything in perfect order.

Li Shenguang's expression became solemn; he read the essay in one breath and slapped the table, shouting: "What a 'Governing by virtue is like the North Star, staying in its place while all stars revolve around it'; it says everything about benevolence and virtue, yet it is not pedantic, and the words are full of substance."

Although the deputy examiners didn't read the essay, they knew Li Shenguang's character; he had always been extremely strict.

Being able to make him slap the table and shout bravo, this Jieyuan (first place in the provincial exam) could be decided.

Li Shenguang read it again with unfinished interest, and then said: "By the way, who is this candidate? Report his resume."

A deputy examiner replied: "This person is named Yin Qi, the son of the Duke of Yin, and also the newly enfeoffed Longxiang Earl by His Majesty."

"It's actually him!"

Li Shenguang's expression was shocked.

On the night of the Lantern Festival in the Gangang Hall, he had witnessed Yin Qi's martial power.

He didn't expect this young Grandmaster to have such literary talent; it was truly amazing.

Such an essay, it is not an exaggeration to set him as the top place.

But he was a bit hesitant, because the Gan Emperor had just granted the marriage not long ago; if he set him as the top place, wouldn't he be considered sycophantic?

But if he didn't, how could he be worthy of his own conscience?

"Let's look at the other papers first."

Li Shenguang didn't say much and continued to read other essays, then his eyes lit up again, and he praised: "Good characters! Good essay, what a 'only emptiness can communicate'; we scholars must first be sincere, and if the heart is sincere and selfless, naturally rituals and laws will communicate, and all things will be one."

He is a master of the School of Mind, and Hong Yi talked extensively about the School of Mind, naturally hitting Li Shenguang's G-spot.

"Who is this person again?"

"My lord, this son is named Hong Yi, the son of the Wuwen Marquis, Lord Hong."

"The son of the Wuwen Marquis, Grand Tutor Hong?"

Li Shenguang frowned, because he didn't get along with Hong Xuanji in the court.

A deputy chief examiner reminded: "My lord, the Wuwen Marquis has already been enfeoffed as Grand Tutor; the title should be changed in the future."

Li Shenguang didn't respond; he looked at Yin Qi's paper and then at Hong Yi's paper, suddenly feeling he didn't know how to choose.

Just then, a yamen runner's chant came from outside: "Grand Tutor Hong has arrived."

At dusk.

The soldiers of the examination hall came to collect the papers, marking the end of this provincial examination.

As the papers were handed in, the scholars either wailed to the sky, talked loudly, or had numb eyes like walking corpses; all kinds of life were displayed, and there were many of them.

Yin Qi also carried his basket and walked out of the Examination Hall, heading straight back to his mansion.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Early in the morning, the Examination Hall was once again crowded with people, because today was the day the results were posted.

The bright red list was posted from the end to the front, one sheet after another; every time a sheet was posted, someone would read the rankings on it aloud so that those who couldn't squeeze to the front could hear.

"Haha, I passed, I passed!"

"I passed too. Father, Mother, did you see? Your son passed the provincial exam!"

"How could this be? I'm already in the top twenty, why is my name still not there?"

In the crowd, some laughed, some cried bitterly.

Standing outside the crowd, Yin Qi finally heard his name: first place, Jieyuan.

As for the second place, it was Hong Yi.

Boom!

Yin Qi suddenly felt an explosion in his mind:

"Passed as Jieyuan, suppressing Hong Yi, fortune added!"

Yin Qi's consciousness instantly entered the depths of his mind, and he saw the red fortune essence, which was a foot high, suddenly surging, stopping only after it reached three feet.

This growth in fortune clearly had two reasons.

One is the top place Jieyuan; this is fame.

Even if he doesn't participate in the metropolitan examination, he can be an official, protected by the national fortune.

Second is suppressing Hong Yi, plundering the opportunity that originally belonged to Hong Yi in the dark.

Although he plundered Hong Yi's opportunity, Yin Qi was righteous and confident, because he won it with his own ability.

Two feet of fortune can do a lot of things.

Yin Qi's consciousness returned, looking at the noisy Examination Hall square; in fact, it wasn't just scholars, a large number of commoners were also gathered around, and the eyes of the whole city were focused here.

He stomped his feet lightly, injecting a burst of true qi into the ground.

Instantly, the illusion array he had secretly set up earlier was also activated in an instant.

The next moment, the sky was filled with brilliant light.

Everyone instinctively looked up and saw countless heavenly flowers drifting down; immortal music drifted in the sky, and vaguely, they seemed to see an immortal palace and jade tower, majestic and magnificent.

"What is that?"

At this moment, everyone in the city was stunned.

Such a vision, let alone seen, they hadn't even heard of it.

The immortal palace and jade tower were faint, seemingly existing in another space.

Afterwards, they saw a young man in a Daoist robe, with an immortal demeanor, walking out from it; his whole body seemed to be surrounded by the sun and moon, and the stars of the universe were willing to be his background.

His figure changed from virtual to real, actually appearing in mid-air as a real person.

With Yin Qi's attainments in arrays, even if it was just a primary illusion array, it wasn't something a Martial Saint or Ghost Immortal could see through.

As for the appearance of this Daoist, it was shaped by Yin Qi according to his own appearance in the Fengshen world.

"Standing in mid-air, standing in mid-air, what kind of realm is this?"

"What's going on? Why can I see him, but I can't feel his existence, as if there is only a void?"

"Immortal, this must be an immortal!"

At this moment in the city, there was much discussion.

Ordinary commoners took the virtual Daoist as an immortal, and cultivators were equally horrified.

Just then, the virtual Daoist spoke.

His voice was ethereal, but it clearly rang in the ears of everyone in the city: "This poor Daoist is the Lord of the Immortal Dao, traveling through the heavens, passing through this world, and finding that the creatures of this world have difficulty in cultivation; only Human Immortals and those transcending tribulations can absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth."

Sighing and grieving.

This poor Daoist cannot bear it in his heart, pitying all living beings, and specially preaches here for three days, passing down the method of immortal cultivation.

At the beginning of immortal cultivation, one can absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to cultivate.

No need for blood food, nor for pills.

May the creatures of this world henceforth all be like dragons." ===== CHAPTER 164 =====