Starlight Shone Upon Me, False Thoughts Threw My Heart Into Chaos

Amid Ye Yun's complaints, many of the successful candidates changed their expressions.

The people along the way were caught off guard by the sudden change and were stunned into silence, so much so that even the words they were uttering stopped abruptly.

Suddenly, the scene fell silent, save for the pitter-patter of horses' hooves.

While grading exam papers, Dragon Qi Manifestation and then soared into the sky. However, due to the characteristics of Dragon Qi, the soaring phenomenon can only be seen by a special group of people. Therefore, this unusual phenomenon did not have as great an impact as when the results were announced.

More than 300 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) did not have their positions officially established by imperial decree at the time, so their connection with the Dragon Qi was not close, and they could not truly see it.

However, many of the examiners present clearly saw the bright yellow mist spreading through the hall, and there were also knowledgeable people inside. Afterwards, when they talked to others, the news spread like wildfire.

Within the imperial court, some things, even if they are common knowledge and no censorship is imposed, will still remain undiscussed by anyone, and over time, they will naturally become unsolved mysteries; while other things, even if repeatedly emphasized and people are told to keep quiet, are still difficult to prevent from spreading and will inevitably become known sooner or later.

The strange phenomenon during the grading was the latter. It spread through the conversations of the examiners and also reached the attention of some of the candidates, who then learned that Qiu Yan had caused another strange phenomenon.

That would have been fine, but they never expected that the procession of the successful candidates would happen again during the day.

"There were strange phenomena when the results were announced, there were strange phenomena when the papers were being graded, and now there are still strange phenomena during this parade! Why are these strange phenomena favoring this person alone?" Whispers arose in the parade, and Di Ai's face was gloomy, full of displeasure.

On the contrary, Qiao Qing, who came with him, looked excited and smiled, saying, "I never expected to be in the same examination as such a person. I'm sure we'll both be remembered in legend and passed down through generations."

Di Ai sneered, "I'm afraid that future generations will only remember that this year's top scholar is extraordinary, while you and I, the other scholars, will become mere background figures."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a voice rang out from behind, "At most, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) will leave a name behind. If one wishes to be remembered in history and respected by future generations, it depends on how one conducts oneself in office. What does a public parade amount to?"

It was Yang Yan who uttered these words.

In this Palace Examination, Qiao Qing, Di Ai, and Yang Yan were all ranked second, thus becoming Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). During the procession through the streets, they followed closely behind Qiu Yan, Ye Yun, and Li Le.

Upon hearing Yang Yan's words, a cold glint flashed in Di Ai's eyes, but she did not refute them. She simply gave a cold smile.

Yang Yan glanced at him, unconcerned. Then he turned his head to look ahead, his gaze falling on Qiu Yan, and he was also pondering something.

Boom!

At this moment, the crowd finally came to their senses, and cheers rose and fell. The people all rushed forward, reaching out their hands, seemingly wanting to touch the horse Qiu Yan was riding!

If it weren't for the soldiers stopping them, the procession would probably have been scattered.

It was only after the soldiers had been repeatedly instructed and emphasized several times that they were able to barely calm themselves down; otherwise, if they had seen the starlight enveloping Qiu Yan, they would have rushed forward first.

Behind Qiu Yan, Ye Yun looked annoyed and somewhat resentful that his limelight had been stolen, but he didn't show any jealousy. Beside him, Li Le watched with interest, a smile on his lips, seemingly indifferent and without any desire.

On the ground, the horse handlers trembled with fear, especially the one who was leading Qiu Yan's horse. He was so timid that he kept silent, cautiously looking at Xingguang beside him with a conflicted expression. He wanted to reach out, but he couldn't muster the courage.

However, because of the starlight descending and the various thoughts on their minds, the people did not know that in Qiu Yan's eyes, the starlight enveloping him was not a strange phenomenon or a good omen, but a death warrant!

"These starlight are trying to invade my body!"

Qiu Yan's perception clearly reflected the subtle changes in the starlight, discovering the finer details. As his gaze fell, the macroscopic view gradually faded, and the focus narrowed down to the minute details.

Within the starlight, strange forces split off, resembling divine power but more unpredictable. Upon closer inspection, Qiu Yan even sensed the aura of Literary Thought!

These mutated powers, as starlight covered the entire body, were about to penetrate through the skin and flesh and invade the body, but they were blocked by the branches and leaves of the Fortune Tree, making it difficult for them to succeed. They could only cling to the surface of the body.

"This divine power, could it be...? That's truly Yazi. However, judging from the Subordinate Deity power, it's best not to easily recall or mention this god's name, lest it be further probed. However, the divine power was blocked by the Fortune and failed to invade my body, which is likely intentional, just to leave a mark and then influence it, making it easier for him to act in the future."

With suspicion in mind, Qiu Yan realized that his unintentional act might have been targeted by a deity.

"They won't even let go of the smallest People's Wishes; their behavior is truly disgraceful and reveals their pettiness. I wonder if there's more to it than meets the eye. I'm not too worried about them marking me now. Flying Leopard said is true, gods cannot easily descend to the mortal realm; even if they do, they must transform into flesh and blood. Standing in the Great Rui, I'm not in much danger. However, gods have a different concept of time than humans; they might be waiting for my lifespan to end..."

As Qiu Yan pondered, he shook his head, straightened his face, and focused his mind. A flash of Spiritual Light appeared within his thoughts, and the Sage Spirit surrounded him, drawing upon the Military School Order and slowly accumulating...

"Retreat!"

With one command, all evil will be eliminated!

The starlight suddenly fluctuated, squeezed by the Force of Order, and was about to be completely repelled!

Then, a look of surprise and doubt came from the light. In the instant of being rejected, various changes occurred, enveloping Qiu Yan's perception and causing his mind to fall into a state of Near and Far, of Fleeting Brilliance, which isolated his time and space from his surroundings, as if he were in a world of his own!

This will infinitely extend the fleeting moment of a snap of the fingers!

"You, the top scholar, are so ungrateful! If not for my guidance, how could you have become the top scholar? I favored you, yet you rebelled against me, severing your ties with the gods. This is an act that ruins your future. If you know the consequences and feel remorse, you should quickly repent, sincerely worship me, set up my image in your home, and respect me as always, silently reciting my name day and night. Only then can you atone for your sins today!"

This Duan Yi, transmitted from the starlight, entered Qiu Yan's heart, yet it made Qiu Yan secretly sneer.

"What a deity! Not only does he want to take advantage, but he also dares to try to confuse the top scholar's mind with his divine power, Incense Faith, and prayers. The top scholar's success may have an element of luck, but ultimately it depends on himself. If he cannot calm his mind, endure years of hard study, and travel all the way to the capital to calmly take the exam, how can he achieve his goal? But in this deity's mouth, it becomes his achievement, erasing the candidate's own efforts!"

Thinking this, Qiu Yan remained outwardly calm and simply asked, "Who are you? And what gives you the right to say such things?"

His words, spoken in such a way, blended into the surrounding starlight.

Now, the isolation is complete. Qiu Yan 'Fleshly Body consciousness and senses have been stripped away by the starlight. In his senses, apart from himself, the scholars parading behind him, the man leading the horse beside him, and the cheering crowd around him all seem to have frozen in time.

But upon closer inspection, one can still discern the movements of the crowd, only their actions have slowed down countless times, becoming incredibly sluggish!

However, Qiu Yan knew in his heart that it wasn't that the people around him had slowed down, but rather that his own flesh and blood, and consciousness, had sped up under the influence of that divine starlight!

Possessing both Divine Spirit Body and Heart Demon Body, he is capable of similar situations and can naturally detect them immediately.

Once this question was uttered, it was absorbed by the starlight and was completely imperceptible to those around.

Then, from within the starlight, another sentence rang out—

"Who am I? That's a ridiculous question. Think about it. The answer is already in your heart." As soon as he finished speaking, several beams of starlight twisted and turned before Qiu Yan's eyes, their brightness fluctuating. They shone on Qiu Yan's face, reflected in his eyes, and through his eyes, formed a memory in his heart.

"Oh? That's quite a method. Using starlight to condense memories through the eyes—the eyes are the windows to the heart. This method is ingenious, far more sophisticated than simply using divine power or incense to permeate them! I wonder what rank it is. However, such actions seem to contradict the true purpose of Divine Office. It may not truly be the Heavenly Authority Wenqu..."

Qiu Yan's Divine Spirit Body can also use Incense Faith, and divine power to create memories out of thin air without anyone noticing. However, this method is easily affected by other factors. For example, at the current stage, Qiu Yan's own Fortune hindering the penetration of starlight, which is actually a kind of defense. But if the light passes through the eyes, it is generally impossible to defend against.

However, since Qiu Yan had noticed it, he could have stopped it, but he wanted to test the waters, so he went along with it.

The starlight constructed various images in his mind, adding many details to Qiu Yan's childhood memories, giving him the illusion that he was deliberately cared for, favored, and guided!

"Memory is a record of one's past. Once altered, it can subtly change a person's aspirations and thoughts. However, it may backfire on a person with a strong will. But this god only changes the details; it is a method of subtle influence!"

Thinking to himself, Qiu Yan turned his gaze and swept around. Taking advantage of the connection with the starlight, he could see a sight he rarely saw. He saw wisps of incense gathering above the heads of the cheering people around him. Some were thick, some were thin. Above the heads of the many scholars, the pillars of Fortune were like trees, but they were also branching out and being drawn over, mixing with their Literary Thought talent and blending into the starlight, flowing backward and reaching the depths of the Void!

"This god uses flowery words to deceive and mislead, trying to bewitch me and get something for nothing. He uses the hearts of others and the aspirations of the people to steal their incense Literary Thought and literary inspiration. This kind of thief is a hundred times more wicked than that Prince Yan!"

As soon as this thought arose, a sharp glint appeared in Qiu Yan's eyes!

Deep within the memory, a chain of changes also occurs.

In the quiet of the night, a young child learns from his father while his mother weaves cloth beside him. The father is strict, and the mother is kind, both of them focusing their gaze on the child, their love and expectations blessing him.

At that moment, starlight shone through the door and window, trying to envelop the young child, but the boy suddenly looked up, his eyes clear.

With a "snap," the starlight shattered!

ps:

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