"I can’t believe it, I just can’t believe it..."
In the hall of Honglu Temple, a group of Academic Palace Doctors looked at an examination paper, complete with hometown and name, their expressions remarkable. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⚑fire.net
A Doctor couldn’t help but complain, "Last year it was Li Ang from Yizhou, and this year it’s Chai Cuiqiao from Yizhou. Aren’t these Yizhou people taking things too far?"
Doctor of Science Su Feng’s mouth twitched slightly. "The key issue is that this Chai Cuiqiao is Li Ang’s housemaid. Ren Xin and Sui Yi only identified her Spiritual Vein Talent this year. She’s never formally attended any learning institution or State School before..."
"Never attended school?!"
Doctor Wei Shanjun of Beastology was wide-eyed and tongue-tied. "Then how did she pass the first two exams?"
"Li Ang and Princess Guanghua are very close. Princess Guanghua tutored her. Oh, right, He Fanshuang, who was second among new students last year, also helped out."
Su Feng added, "Also, when Li Ang developed Allicin, it was his housemaid who took care of his daily needs."
"Oh, I’ve heard about this."
Military Doctor Qi Ju spoke with a somewhat strange expression, "My wife nags me every day, saying that Young Master Li of our Academic Palace is a true model for men these days. He’s faithful and devoted. The moment he earns money, he buys his housemaid all sorts of gold and silver jewelry. He even invented soap and degreasing cotton out of his affection for her.
She tells me I should learn from Li Ang.
I wanted to retort at the time, ’With what you’re saying, do you want me to dote on our housemaids too?’"
"Your wife would kill you for sure then."
Body Study Division Master Xue Che shook his head. "Hmm... In any case, Chai Cuiqiao is first in the final examination, right?
Considering her results from the first two exams, she’ll probably rank within the top one hundred on the admission list.
Heh, luckily she’s not in the top ten, or even first overall. Otherwise, there’d be a huge uproar outside, with people saying Yizhou produces all the top scholars."
"The top hundred is still quite an exaggeration. That’s a household where both master and servant entered the Academic Palace."
One Doctor shook his head, puzzled. "However, how did she break through the cognitive barrier constructed by the Abyss Rock so quickly?
Even with exceptional courage and determination, enough to face her inner fears directly, it shouldn’t have been this smooth."
In the tavern’s loft, Chai Chai ate dessert while recounting the details of the final examination. "Generally, I first isolated my five senses. This blocked the effects of the light beams in the Illusion Realm, allowing me to move forward in the dark.
I don’t think that’s the only solution; there must be other ways."
He Fanshuang squinted, contemplating for a moment, then slowly said, "There are many types of Mutated Objects that can induce fear; books alone record over a hundred.
But for one to target one’s true self directly, and be contained within an examination paper..."
She paused, then asked Chai Cuiqiao, "The surface of the exam paper—did it have a grainy texture, somewhat like old paper? And was its color slightly gray?"
Chai Chai immediately replied, "Yes."
"Then it’s not surprising."
He Fanshuang nodded and said to Li Ang, "Abnormality One, thirty-nine."
Chai Chai and You Xiao didn’t understand what she meant. Although Li Le Ling knew it was the number of a Mutated Object, she was unclear about the specific details.
Li Ang, however, was aware. He and He Fanshuang had outstanding achievements and were permitted to access some Forbidden Books.
Abnormality One, thirty-nine referred to the Abyss Rock.
During the Yu Chu era, Su Zi traveled through the Various Countries to broaden his experience.
Once, while tracking a group of Demon Sect members to an island in the Endless Sea, he discovered these Devil Sect Members were worshipping an immense grey mountain rock.
The rock possessed a strange ability: it caused those who approached it to see terrifying illusions. The closer they got and the longer they stayed, the more horrific the illusions became. Some even died of fright on the spot.
To harness the rock’s power, this Demon Sect devised an extremely malicious method. They kidnapped infants, less than a month old, from commoners. Early on, they deprived these infants of their five senses and confined them in cages.
They were made unable to see, hear, or smell, preventing them from receiving any information from the outside world, let alone speak or converse.
As these children grew, because they’d never had contact with the outside world, they were incredibly ’pure.’ This allowed them to ignore the bizarre illusions and approach the Abyss Rock to do the only thing they knew: collect fragments from it.
The Demon Sect used the Abyss Rock fragments in various ways: to control their subordinates, to bewitch their followers, and even to use the powdered rock to craft arrows. If an enemy was struck by such an arrow, they would fall into terrifying hallucinations from which they couldn’t escape, literally scared to death.
Su Zi, deeply abhorring such acts, drew his sword and exterminated that Demon Sect stronghold, rescuing the kidnapped innocents.
However, the Abyss Rock was too massive to be brought back to Dongjun Tower. It had to be buried on the spot. He then reported this to the Academic Palace, requesting them to dispatch personnel to guard it.
This was the only option; they couldn’t very well blow it up or throw it into the sea, could they?
Heaven knew if the Abyss Rock entered the sea, it might contaminate the nearby waters, fish, and shrimp, and the consequences could become even more uncontrollable.
The more I think about it, Yu Country is sitting on a powder keg. No, a single powder keg isn’t this dangerous; it’s more like a whole stack of them. Mutations are everywhere, and the entire state could collapse at any moment.
Li Ang silently mused, his brow furrowing unconsciously.
Using a Level One Mutated Object, even fragments of it, as part of the final exam seemed a bit excessive.
Could it be that the situation had worsened somewhere without his knowledge?
Li Ang exchanged a glance with He Fanshuang; neither voiced their doubts.
The final exam, just like last year’s, lasted until evening. Finally, the students began to emerge from the examination hall one after another and head home.
By sunset, the Academic Palace had posted the admission list.
Chai Chai ranked seventy-first. Song Shaoyuan’s final score just barely made the cut, and he too was admitted to the Academic Palace.
Friends from Yizhou and the Academic Palace came to offer congratulations. Li Ang reciprocated politely, but the worry and doubt in his heart lingered.
Taking advantage of a lull in the banquet, Li Ang approached Song Shaoyuan to ask about his experience during the exam.
"In the Illusion Realm I encountered, a beam of light shone down from above, and everything around was pitch black. I moved forward relying on my willpower. During that process, I saw many bizarre illusions and also experienced auditory hallucinations."
"The content of the illusions... was all the things I feared most, deep in my heart."
Song Shaoyuan’s smile was somewhat forced, but he continued, "For instance, there was an illusion where, while I was exploring the mountains in Yizhou, I fell off a cliff. I didn’t die but ended up paralyzed, a cripple.
There was also the time in Pingkang Square when I clashed with Jiao Cheng. In that illusion, he killed me and buried me in the garden.
Everything in the illusions was incredibly lifelike. I even felt maggots crawling on my body."
Li Ang asked, "Wait, Brother Song, why were the illusions you saw so realistic?"
"Isn’t it the same for everyone?"
Song Shaoyuan asked with confusion, "I asked other examinees, including those who thought of covering their eyes with cloth strips. They also suffered from hallucinations. Everyone got through by relying on their willpower and mental fortitude.
Some even took blades and killed the ’selves’ they saw in the illusions."
Li Ang nodded, his gaze shifting to the courtyard where the banquet was being held. Chai Chai was at the children’s table, happily munching on a crab.
Why hadn’t Chai Chai seen more illusions?
Was it because her method of blocking her senses had worked? Or was it something unique to her...