Lofty Foundations, Hollow Base

This golden pill was formed from the Solar True Essence that Qiu Yan obtained after defeating and suppressing the Golden Crow Daoist. It was extremely hot and contained an aura of destruction.

Qiu Yan's soul had come into contact with a bit of the Solar True Essence and had some understanding of it, but it could not withstand an entire pill. It could only be stored away and taken out to explore in its spare time.

However, the heat contained in this pill is too great for even a porcelain bottle to withstand; it must be preserved by using a flame that blends Human Path and spiritual desires as a barrier.

He took out the pill, not to use it, but to flick it with his finger, elongating the flame enveloping it. Then, he bent his fingers and wrapped the flame around the Dragon Qi!

The Dragon Qi, enveloped by Divine Sense and Qi and Blood, was perfectly round like a cinnabar pill. After being entangled and stirred several times by the flames, it was completely contained within them.

Immediately afterwards, Fire Star scattered from the flames, releasing ripples that actually neutralized the weight of the Dragon Qi.

"The power within this flame, though it can counteract the weight of the Dragon Qi, is constantly being consumed and cannot be sustained. The flame must be replenished periodically; otherwise, once the flame is completely depleted by the Dragon Qi, it will become uncontrollable."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan opened his mouth and spat out a Fire Star, which was the Humanistic Fire Seed from within his soul.

The Fire Star landed in the flames enveloping the two objects, causing the fire to suddenly flare up, even intensifying its light. Then it returned to normal, only the flames had become much more concentrated.

Qiu Yan flicked his fingers, and the Dragon Qi and Solar True Essence, enveloped in flames, swirled around each other, separated by fire. One of them fell back into the porcelain bottle. Then, he sealed the lid, shook it, and a gurgling sound came from inside, as if lead and mercury were being shaken.

Nodding, Qiu Yan put the bottle back into his arms. Beside him, the Trial Beast and returned to the Ginseng Baby, covering the latter like a blanket.

"This Trial Beast is of great research value and seems harmless, but considering its origins, we cannot be too complacent. Dragon Qi is extraordinary; if we rashly take it out, it might do more harm than good. Let it wait and see."

He patted his chest, feeling the bottles in his arms through his clothes.

"I've used up all the bottles I have, so I have to put the Solar True Essence pills and Dragon Qi together. Although it saves on fire, there are still hidden dangers. I'll have to buy some more in a few days to prepare."

Thinking this, he took a deep breath and looked out the window.

After a night of hustle and bustle, Xingjing Imperial City has quieted down. The lights that filled the city have been extinguished one by one, with only a few remaining.

Previously, when he dealt with the Dragon Qi, it seemed simple, but he had to be careful and cautious at every step, which took a lot of time.

As night deepened, the city slowly merged into the darkness. In this darkness, the river that ran through Prosperity Capital stood out, because many lanterns floated on the river, making it look like a colorful dragon from afar.

"Behind the prosperity lies a turbulent undercurrent, just like this river. On the surface, it appears dazzling and colorful, but behind the light and shadow lies a rushing torrent. If one slips and falls in, one will drown."

The inn where Qiu Yan stayed wasn't cheap, but the location wasn't great either. Although there weren't many high-rise buildings in this era, it was still difficult for the average person to see very far from the window.

But the long river was so conspicuous in the darkness that it could still be seen. Coupled with Qiu Yan's eyesight, of course he could see it clearly, and then he felt a little emotional.

The Myriad People's Heart Fire within his soul underwent a slight change.

This flame, ostensibly representing all people, is actually the Heart Fire the soul. It is built upon the thoughts of the many believers within the Divine Spirit Body, capturing fragments of their lives. The fire often presents everyday scenes, like a miniature world.

Right now, Qiu Yan looked at the shimmering river and felt a sense of enlightenment. It was a visionary construct above the Myriad People's Heartfire Realm, a vision that was still unclear.

This is an illusion, seemingly glamorous, but underneath lies a turbulent undercurrent.

The changes in the Heart Fire came to an abrupt halt here.

Qiu Yan sighed.

"After all, without truly experiencing the changes at the highest levels, one can only construct a concept, not truly manifest it in one's mind. All of this will have to wait until after the Metropolitan Examination and the Palace Examination before one can take it a step further. And one cannot rush to perfect the Divine Path with the insights gained from them."

With this in mind, Qiu Yan banished all sorts of thoughts from her mind.

When the Heart Ape manifested, a gust of wind suddenly rose in the room, startling the Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription character, who then huddled in a corner with the Incense Burner.

Now that Qiu Yan had sorted out his thoughts, he went over and asked them again about their plans for the night.

"What exactly happened in the Hanlin Academy? Please explain the matter clearly."

He was just about to ask a question when his restless Heart Ape was drawn out and manifested, which is why he was interrupted.

Upon hearing the question, the Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription calmed down and recounted his experience several times, but without going into too much detail.

As Qiu Yan listened, he repeatedly inquired about the details, his brows gradually furrowing.

"So, you're saying that you only entered the Book Repository, Ginseng Treasure started stealing books? And then an invisible barrier activated to capture you?"

"That's right," the Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription seemed to be recalling something, and quickly added, "It's strange, when I went in, I didn't sense a trace at all. That restriction was able to hide from my senses. You can't underestimate it. Moreover, this is all because of that ginseng, and has nothing to do with me!"

"I'm not trying to assign blame," Qiu Yan shook his head with a hint of helplessness. "You said you didn't sense any traces of Divine Ability at the beginning, so after the restriction was triggered, did you sense any fluctuations of Divine Ability power?"

In his words, he clearly agreed with the theory of the Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription. These Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription were a piece of wisdom of an ancient Sage that was recorded and eventually became sentient. In terms of sensitivity alone, it was no less than Qiu Yan. Even it could not sense any trace of Divine Ability, which made Qiu Yan guess and slowly construct various possibilities in his mind.

"After the restriction was triggered?" The Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription paused, clearly not having considered this question, and hesitated. "After the restriction was triggered, apart from me, who managed to remain calm, the others were only concerned with escaping. However, the situation was chaotic at the time, and I don't remember clearly. But since the restriction was revealed, there should be some traces, right..."

Later, a sense of uncertainty crept into its words.

Qiu Yan nodded, knowing that this was all the progress he had made, and asked no further questions.

The night passed quickly, and the next day, Qiu Yan had breakfast and was about to read when there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door.

After the door opened, Luo Jiayun and Zhou Guan's faces appeared.

Their faces were flushed. When they saw the door open, they opened their mouths to speak, but they couldn't catch their breath and began to gasp for air.

"Why are you like this?" Looking at the two of them, Qiu Yan knew perfectly well that they had rushed all the way here.

"Huff... huff..."

After finally catching his breath, Luo Jiayun quickly said, "Brother Qiu, you don't know yet, do you? The examiners have already been chosen!"

"Oh? The examiners have been chosen?" Upon hearing this news, Qiu Yan couldn't help but perk up. In the Imperial Examinations examination, one's own knowledge was one aspect, but the examiners' preferences were equally important. However, a series of questions arose.

"Who are the examiners? Where did you hear this news? Has the government already posted a notice?"

Zhou Guan shook his head and said, "No, but the news has already spread among some people. I heard that the decision was made last night and reached my and Brother Luo's inn this morning!"

"Oh? It's just a rumor. That might not be accurate." Qiu Yan frowned.

"That's not the case," Luo Jiayun shook his head. "I heard from Brother Cao and others that last night, on the Lantern Festival, Prime Minister Zhang Lian visited the literary gathering. As a high-ranking official, he couldn't easily contact the candidates at this juncture, otherwise he would inevitably be the subject of gossip. Unless the examiners have already been chosen, he wouldn't have these concerns."

"Zhang Lian?" Qiu Yan nodded upon hearing this. He was familiar with the name and knew that Ma Yang was a high-ranking official in the Council of Council of State Affairs. In terms of seniority, he was even higher than Ma Yang, but in terms of power, he was not as powerful as Ma Yang. Then, he gathered his thoughts and asked, "By the way, you haven't made it clear yet, who exactly is this chief examiner?"

"That's it..." Zhou Guan slapped his forehead, about to speak, but was interrupted by several footsteps.

"Brother Luo, Brother Zhou, why didn't you say goodbye when you left? How could we be left out of the visit to Brother Qiu?" Cao Hanqi and the others rushed over, pretending to complain.

Luo Jiayun said, "You all came back very late last night, you should rest more today." He looked at the group with some doubt, sensing that Cao Hanqi and the others' attitude towards Qiu Yan seemed to have changed slightly.

Cao Hanqi waved his hand and laughed, "This is nothing. Brother Qiu was quite the star last night. We're here to congratulate him."

"Congratulations?" Zhou Guan asked curiously. "As far as I know, Shen Zhi didn't go out yesterday, so why would he be in the limelight? What's this cause for celebration?"

"It's a long story, but not too complicated." Cao Hanqi smiled and cupped his hands towards Qiu Yan. "Although Brother Qiu was not present at yesterday's literary gathering, your reputation has already spread. Once we discuss the matter of the chief examiner, I will have to speak with Brother Qiu about it properly."

"Brother Cao, you also know about the chief examiner?" Qiu Yan wasn't Great Prosperity in the congratulatory message; his mind was already focused on the selection of the chief examiner.

"This news, actually, was brought to the Book Hoard Inn by us," Cao Hanqi said, not beating around the bush. "This person is truly unexpected. I wonder if Brother Qiu could guess who it is?"

Qiu Yan thought for a moment and said two names: "I wonder if it's Cen Bo or Zhang Hou?"

Unexpectedly, Cao Hanqi shook his head, then lowered his voice and named someone—

"The chief examiner for this imperial examination is none other than Chancellor Wang!" (To be continued. Please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)