The Hidden History of the Sect Unified Examination

Once the students' shock had begun to fade, Feng Chutang continued, "The successive incidents involving two Children of Fortune had unsettled even the Immortal Sects, who had always held themselves above everyone else. But there was another, more important reason. Back then, some Immortal Sects had worried about their reputations and acted timidly, so they failed to claim much land. Others didn't care in the slightest how greedy they looked and seized land on a grand scale."

"In the end, the former went year after year without finding more than a handful of good disciples, while the latter had disciples as numerous as clouds and saw their strength soar. Naturally, this led to conflict. Those who had claimed little demanded that the land be divided again, while the sects that had already seized territory refused. The two sides argued over it for more than a hundred years, scheming against each other in the open and in secret. Countless battles were fought, and countless powerful cultivators perished."

"By then, several of the great Immortal Sects had learned their lesson the hard way and decided that change was essential. Just then, a remarkable man appeared out of nowhere and proposed the idea of sharing geniuses. Specifically, the human realm's seeds for cultivation were to be shared among the major sects, with a unified entrance examination held to ensure that not a single genius was overlooked. The sects, meanwhile, would be ranked into different tiers according to their strength. The upper-ranked sects would choose first, while the lower-ranked ones would be left with scraps."

The Sect Unified Examination had been in place for more than a thousand years. Every student present had entered through it and was well acquainted with its many rules. They all considered it only natural. But hearing this little-known chapter of history still made them feel that the remarkable man of that era had been truly extraordinary. Who else could have come up with such a wildly imaginative idea?

Feng Chutang smiled. "When I first heard this story, I found it just as incredible. Geniuses could be shared? There was no such precedent in all of history! And an open examination with an open selection process was even more unheard-of. Can you guess what sort of person this remarkable man was?"

"A reincarnated immortal?"

"A once-in-a-generation genius?"

"A Child of Fortune?"

The students offered one guess after another, but Feng Chutang only shook his head. When they had run out of guesses, Feng Changqing finally said, "He actually came from another world. And in that world, this sort of thing was perfectly ordinary."

Every student, Wei Yuan included, was stunned. Someone couldn't help asking, "There are other worlds?"

"Of course. Not only are there other worlds, there are many. Once you've mastered your divine abilities, you'll find out for yourselves."

A girl spoke up. "I know! It was an immortal's mindscape, wasn't it?"

Feng Chutang shook his head. "No. It was a real world. As for the details, you'll have to reach Imperial Scenery and explore it yourselves. By then, you'll have climbed to a great height and found your horizons broadened a hundredfold. Everything you've seen and heard before will seem like a frog at the bottom of a well, peering at the sky through a narrow opening."

The boys and girls immediately began to yearn for it. This world held far too many secrets waiting to be explored. Young as they were, they suddenly wished they could grow up at once, so they could ride the wind and wield their swords, exploring the boundless world.

Feng Chutang continued with what happened next:

"Once this method was proposed, the great Immortal Sects and major factions naturally supported it. The smaller sects could object all they liked; it wouldn't help. But after that, the various sects fought for more than a hundred years over who ranked higher or lower. In short, they eventually hammered out a system, and that was how the Great Tang Immortal Sect's unified recruitment examination came about, commonly known as the Immortal Sect Unified Examination. As for sect ranks, you already know the arrangement: Immortal Sects, Blessed Lands, Grotto Heavens, and ordinary sects."

Wei Yuan asked, "What about the sects outside the system? Were they never allowed to recruit disciples?"

Feng Changqing nodded to Wei Yuan. "That's a good question. The solution was also proposed by that remarkable man: let the capable rise and the inept fall, and open the passage between the upper and lower ranks. Specifically, every hundred years, all the sects would be reevaluated and their rankings revised. The lowest-ranked sects would drop to the next tier, while the lowest-ranked fourth-tier sects would be expelled from the examination system and replaced by capable small sects waiting in reserve. That way, fast-growing small sects could enter the system. The small sects outside it would have hope, and focus on joining the system instead of rebelling."

"In fact, that remarkable man proposed this solution at the same time as the Sect Unified Examination. But the great Immortal Sects of the day had grown used to lording it over everyone. They all wanted to rule the cultivation world forever, for a thousand generations, and none of them wanted newcomers joining in and taking a share. It wasn't until a hundred years later, when the sects had fought themselves into a fury and casualties were mounting, that they remembered his proposal."

Class was over. Feng Chutang said, "When you get back, write an essay about the merits and drawbacks of this system. If you have a better idea, you can include that, too. Hand it in next class. If you finish early, you can also leave it at my affairs hall. I'll read it when I come by."

A girl suddenly stood up and asked, "Teacher, Senior Sister Liuli said cultivators need to be able to fight. Are you good at fighting, too?"

Feng Chutang smiled warmly. "I teach history. In the mortal world, I'd be a frail scholar, the sort who couldn't even kill a chicken. Fighting and killing aren't my strong suit."

The next day, it was time for Senior Sister Liuli's Dao Foundation class again.

In the first lesson, Ji Liuli outlined the basics of Dao Foundation cultivation and the six universal cultivation methods. It was only from this lesson onward that they began their actual cultivation classes.

The students were divided into six groups according to their chosen methods. Besides Wei Yuan, only Bao Yun and another boy who had received the Patriarch's blessing had chosen the Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon Diagram. His surname was Cui, his given name Yu, and he was a member of the illustrious Cui Household.

The Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon Diagram placed extremely strict demands on one's own fortune. Its advantage was that it strengthened one's foundations, but beyond that, it had little else to offer. The other five cultivation methods each had their own strengths and made less stringent demands, so the Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon Diagram had always drawn the fewest cultivators.

Xiao Yu also had great fortune, but he had planned out his Dao Path long ago. He hadn't chosen the Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon Diagram. Instead, he had picked the Great Sun Embracing Sword Book, the most lethal of the six methods.

Once they had split into groups, everyone began cultivating on their own. Ji Liuli sat high on the teaching platform, surveying the entire class.

Wei Yuan had already taken his second Chonglou Dinghai Pill, and his visualization diagram now extended more than three zhang. But after subtracting the pill's effects, its actual range was only two and a half zhang.

Wei Yuan had been cultivating for nearly half a month, a pace that could hardly be called fast. He couldn't compare with the geniuses described in the records. Still, he had noticed something: after Senior Sister Liuli had cleansed and refined his foundations last time, his visualization diagram had actually contracted by half a chi from its previous extent. Its range was smaller, but its quality had clearly improved.

Cultivation couldn't be achieved overnight; Wei Yuan understood that perfectly well. So he didn't worry about his precise progress and simply breathed in and out the moonlight at set times each day.

The shadow within the full moon remained where it was, never moving. Wisps of black aura entered Wei Yuan's body along with the moonlight. As more of it seeped in, the speed at which he drew in the moonlight slowly increased.

Ji Liuli surveyed the class. From time to time, she would rouse a student whose cultivation had gone awry, offer some guidance, and then let the student resume cultivating.

The lesson soon passed. The chime brought all the students back from their oblivious immersion. Cui Yu, seated not far from Wei Yuan, suddenly raised his hand. "Senior Sister, I've completed my visualization diagram."

Ji Liuli walked over. Her pupils turned blue as she studied it for a moment, then nodded. "A six-zhang Moon-Gazing Diagram, with an aspect close to the supreme grade. Quite impressive! You can begin Body Forging."

Cui Yu was delighted by the praise. He gazed at Ji Liuli eagerly and asked, "Can I forge an Immortal Foundation?"

Ji Liuli shook her head. "Heaven Tier is within reach. An Immortal Foundation will depend on fate. Your Root Bone is only eight chi, which holds you back a little. When you get home, have your family find more rare natural treasures and immortal medicines that can improve your aptitude. That's the only way to secure Heaven Tier. Don't be stingy in this regard."

Cui Yu gritted his teeth. "Don't worry, Teacher! If even the Cui Household lacks the resources, then no household under heaven is wealthy!"

Bao Yun rolled her eyes.