Top of the List

The examiners all turned their eyes to Zuo Dao's paper. A moment later, surprise appeared on every face.

"This is..." The female examiner with the ponytail said in astonishment, "Is this your Clear-Turbid Breathing Method, Principal? You taught it to Zuo Dao?"

Zhao Shouyi shook his head. "The knowledge within the Heaven-Stealing Diagram cannot be casually passed on to anyone outside the Four Great Dao Schools. I have not even taught it to my own grandson. Why would I teach it to him?"

"It isn't the Clear-Turbid Breathing Method." The male examiner whose gaze was sharp as a blade, Xing Jun, said, "Though it is somewhat similar, it is cruder and more primitive. I would say it has at most thirty or forty percent of the Clear-Turbid Breathing Method's effectiveness."

"He comprehended it from the Heaven-Stealing Diagram." Lü Chongyang sighed. "That kid's comprehension is far too strong. Teacher, if I remember correctly, your Clear-Turbid Breathing Method was something you learned from the Heaven-Stealing Diagram in the past, wasn't it?"

Zhao Shouyi nodded with satisfaction. The more he looked at Zuo Dao's paper, the more appreciation filled his eyes. Then he looked over the boy's previous results, and his desire to nurture talent surged. "Not bad. With talent like this, he can compare to me in my youth."

The ponytailed female examiner said, "Then he should be first on the list, right?"

Xing Jun nodded. "Primordial Spirit Value: 105. Daoization Degree: 1%. To have reached this level before even enrolling, there is indeed no dispute over him taking first place."

"Not necessarily." Another examiner, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "Take a look at this."

Another exam paper was passed over. There was only a single short line, yet all five of them froze when they saw it.

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name."

Only after a long while did Zhao Shouyi slowly say, "These two sentences contain the grandeur of ten thousand vistas. They surpass even Zuo Dao's by a step."

The ponytailed female examiner said, "Principal, just one cryptic sentence is supposed to rank above Zuo Dao's Clear-Turbid Breathing Method? I'm afraid that won't convince anyone, will it? It is far too abstruse. Who knows what this examinee was even thinking when he wrote it?"

As she spoke, she turned to Xing Jun. "Xing Jun, don't you agree?"

These two sentences... Xing Jun stared at the line on the paper, his expression shifting slightly, but he did not answer the female examiner.

Zhao Shouyi smiled and looked at her. "Yu Zhen, what do you think this sentence means?"

"It is a breathing method too, isn't it? But it is not written clearly. I think he has not even figured it out himself. It cannot be used for cultivation at all. How could it compare to Zuo Dao's?"

Zhao Shouyi turned to Lü Chongyang beside him. "And you?"

Lü Chongyang frowned. "It seems like a sword art, but only an outline of one."

Another examiner said faintly, "I thought he was speaking of the way of talismans, but it can only count as vague insight."

Seeing the astonished looks on the other four examiners' faces, Zhao Shouyi said calmly, "This one line summarizes the entire contents of the Heaven-Stealing Diagram. However, this examinee's cultivation is insufficient, so he only has these two sentences. It can only be considered the beginning of opening the Heaven-Stealing Diagram."

Lü Chongyang said, "Such comprehension surpasses even Zuo Dao's. Let me see... Zhou Bai. Combined with his results from the previous two rounds, he has more than enough to take first place."

Yu Zhen, with her ponytail, protested, "It was only a flash of inspiration. Zuo Dao's Primordial Spirit Value has surpassed 105, and before even enrolling, he has already entered the Dao. If he is not first, who can be?"

"The top scorer of an entrance examination cannot be decided purely by cultivation." Lü Chongyang looked at the name on the paper and said, "Besides, this kid Zhou Bai has a will of iron..." As he spoke, Lü Chongyang recounted Zhou Bai's performance in the second round, earning looks of admiration from the other examiners.

Sun Yuzhen said, "The Zuo family is full of loyal martyrs, and Zuo Dao is now the Zuo family's only remaining heir. If a Primordial Spirit Value of 105 cannot even get first place, I think we will be drowned in the Military Department's spit."

Lü Chongyang said, "The road of cultivation stretches long and far. Since when did it depend on one's family background? Did we call our fathers and mothers to help us cultivate?"

Watching the two of them clash harder and harder, Zhao Shouyi said, "Since everyone's opinions are divided, let us decide by vote."

With a gentle wave of his hand, Zuo Dao and Zhou Bai's results from the first two rounds appeared before them as well.

Sun Yuzhen said, "I choose Zuo Dao."

Lü Chongyang said, "Zhou Bai."

Another examiner said, "Zuo Dao."

Sun Yuzhen looked toward Xing Jun, only to see his gaze flicker slightly. He looked once more at Zhou Bai's sentence, then said softly, "Zhou Bai."

The next moment, all four examiners looked toward Zhao Shouyi.

In the waiting hall, the examinees gradually began to grow suspicious.

"Why is it taking so long?"

"Didn't they say it would be done in half an hour?"

Jing Xiu looked curiously at the big screen. "Brother Zhou, it has almost been an hour. Why are the results still not out?" As she spoke, she turned her head and discovered that Zhou Bai had somehow lain down on the floor. She asked in confusion, "Brother Zhou, why are you lying on the floor?"

Zhou Bai curled his lips, glanced at his unmoving Laziness Qi Value, and said casually, "I'm idle anyway, so I'm cultivating for a while."

Jing Xiu's eyes filled with admiration. "Brother Zhou, you work so hard."

Just then, the big screen began to flicker, countless names and numbers jumping across it.

Jing Xiu cried excitedly, "It's here! It's here! Brother Zhou, the rankings are being announced! Your results in the first two rounds were so good, you will definitely make the top ten."

Zhou Bai raised his head to look as well. Although he had been determined when copying the Dao De Jing, now that the moment had arrived, he was somewhat worried that it might not suit this world and fail to catch the examiners' eyes.

As he wavered between hope and fear while looking at the rankings, Jing Xiu beside him said happily, "Haha, I'm ninth! I made the top ten! Dad and Mom will be over the moon!"

The next moment, Jing Xiu continued reading. "Third, Qian Wangsun."

"Second, Zuo Dao."

"First... Zhou Bai?"

Jing Xiu looked at Zhou Bai with a face full of admiration and said worshipfully, "Brother Zhou! You're first! You're the top scorer!"

Zhou Bai blanked for a moment, then calmly said, "Not bad. This batch of examiners is fairly competent."

"Tch." Christina inwardly scorned him. "In the first round, Zhou Bai used the Auxiliary System to add points and raised his Primordial Spirit Value to 99 in ten days.

"In the second round, he also relied on the Auxiliary System to confirm that his Primordial Spirit Value had not changed, and besides, he truly could not run anymore...

"As for the third round... Hmph, who knows where he stole that insight from.

"He cheated... slacked off... all the way through, and actually got first place in the entrance examination... Donghua Dao School really has fallen. Damn it, I did not get to play any role at all. I had thought that through this examination, I could make Zhou Bai rely on me even more."

Once the rankings were released, the top six hundred were naturally all delighted, while the bottom six hundred wore troubled expressions and sighed inwardly.

Zhao Shouyi emerged with the other four examiners. Looking at the many examinees before him, he said, "Everyone, the results for this year have been released. Those who passed should not become smug. The sea of the Dao has no shore; enrollment is only a starting point. You still have countless hardships and trials to overcome. I hope you will keep striving, and that I will see you at graduation."

After speaking, he turned to the examinees who had failed. "Those who did not pass should not lose heart either. To defeat the other examinees and become one of these twelve hundred already proves your talent and will. You will have a chance to fight again next year. Even if you miss the Dao School, the Heavenly Court still has countless positions that need you.

"To fight the Heavenly Demons, to reclaim our homeland, to protect our loved ones, humanity needs the strength of every single person. Even if you cannot enter a Dao School, I hope you can shine in other positions and strive for humanity's future."

In wartime, everything was geared toward efficiency. After a few simple words, Zhao Shouyi dismissed the examinees.

As for the examinees who had successfully enrolled, they had one day to prepare. The day after tomorrow, they would officially begin school and start their lives at the Dao School.