The Mortal Domain's First Spring Examination

Listening to his father's long-winded explanation, Weiwei tilted his head somewhat uncertainly to look at the smaller Crocodile beside him, which was his mother. The Crocodile nodded rather human-like.

"Listen to your father."

"Waaah!"

After Weiwei a low growl, it opened its blood-red maw, took a deep breath, its abdomen slightly bulging, and then, as if launched from the spot, it shot into the air and slammed its claw heavily into the empty air!

Just as the claw was about to strike.

A barrier appeared in the air.

Heaven-Earth Barrier composed of countless heptagons covered an area of several Thousand Meters.

"Smack!"

With Weiwei low growl, it slammed its claw down with all its might.

However

Previously effective methods of Formation Break the formation seemed to have failed at this moment. In the past, no matter what kind of Formation it was, it could be broken with a single claw in front of Weiwei. But now, this "Fallen Firmament" barrier only trembled slightly.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Weiwei fell to the ground and let out a somewhat dejected whimper, clearly indicating that trying to shatter the Fallen Firmament with it was unrealistic.

Cheer up!

The larger Crocodile beside him said with a hint of exasperation, "You're supposed to be the Mortal Domain Beast Pavilion Lord, one of the Mortal Domain Senior Official, yet you act like a child, giving up at the first sign of trouble."

"When the former Domain Lord used the Heavenly Dao Cannon to bombard the barrier, didn't it only cause a slight tremor?"

"That's already quite good."

"Your single claw strike saved the Mortal Domain hundreds of millions of Eerie Stone."

"Come on, let's continue."

"After dozens or hundreds of tries, maybe it will work."

Hearing this Weiwei perked up again, her eyes shining, and she looked up at the slowly dissipating "Heaven-Earth Barrier" in the sky.

That's all.

On this Protruding Platform, 20,000 kilometers above the ground.

A Crocodile repeatedly leaped through the air, slapping at the barrier with its thick, spinning claws.

And on the side.

They are two Crocodile that keep encouraging and cheering each other on.

The three Crocodile created quite a stir here.

There are two ways to reach this platform from underground: a Teleportation Formation array or Elevator. However, the Teleportation Formation is almost always chosen, given the immense distance—a full 20,000 kilometers, far exceeding the distance from the New Continent to the Feng Qiya Continent. Taking Elevator would consume a significant amount of time. "Domain Lord."

"Weiwei, there's no news from them yet."

Just like Rainy Season long ago, Chen Fan set up a Rocking Chair on the City Wall, swaying back and forth as he flipped through the book in his Rocking Chair, listening to Wang Kui's report beside him, nodding casually and half-heartedly.

His control over the Mortal Domain is absolute.

He couldn't possibly be unaware that Weiwei had secretly gone to the Black Tortoise Sky Pillar to try and break through the Fallen Firmament, especially since the "Black Tortoise Sky Pillar" was one of the key projects currently being focused on by the Mortal Domain.

If someone were to sneak up there without him knowing anything, he would soon be sidelined.

He just didn't stop it.

After all, Weiwei, being Sky-Swallowing Crocodile, is born with the talent to Formation Break formations, so perhaps a miracle could happen, but it seems that...

"No rush, no need to pay too much attention."

Chen Fan looked down at the Storybook in his hand and said casually, somewhat nonchalantly.

The information he now has is that Weiwei's slap can make "Fallen Firmament" tremble slightly, which is about the same as the power of his Heavenly Dao Cannon. It's just right for Weiwei to test the barrier mechanism of "Fallen Firmament".

For example.

This barrier has a damage tolerance limit and doesn't regenerate, so if Weiwei spends enough time, he'll eventually break it. However, if the barrier can self-repair and must break through a critical value within a short period, then spending more time won't make a difference. He doesn't yet understand which mechanism it is.

But after Weiwei for a while, we'll be able to find the answer.

"Clear."

Wang Kui, who was standing to the side, agreed and then reported again, "The First Spring Examination of the Mortal Domain is about to begin, with Nine Subjects in total, and nine Top Ranker will be selected."

The First Spring Examination entrance examination was held in "Jiangbei Mortal City".

"It will officially begin in three days."

"Many students have already headed to Mortal City, and more are continuing to arrive in the Mortal City days."

"Um."

Chen Fan nodded and said softly, "The Mortal Domain Spring Examination is a major event for selecting talent, which determines the foundation of the Mortal Domain's middle management. It must be taken seriously, and the nine Top Ranker in the first session should be given high positions."

"Besides the Top Ranker person, those who rank highly should also be given a good position."

"Raise the status of the Spring Examination."

"Make it clear to everyone that as long as they participate in the Spring Examination and achieve a certain ranking, a bright future awaits them." Understood.

Then.

Chen Fan stretched and lazily got up from the Rocking Chair, holding the Storybook in his hand, muttering something to himself as he walked towards his private High-Speed Rail was parked not far away and waiting for him.

One year ago.

The Mortal Domain sought to revise its history books and consulted many learned individuals.

One of them was called "True Person Qi".

That's my real name.

It's not a title.

He read a Storybook written by this Qi Town man. It was a bit lowbrow, and it was about how, after waking up, everyone on the Eternal Night Continent had their will affected by darkness and were unable to perform sexual acts, so they didn't know how to give birth. Only the protagonist was not affected by the darkness and knew Seventy-One Positions that could help him have a child, thus beginning a beautiful and carefree life.

These kinds of Storybook are commonly found in Teahouse.

Some laborers who did hard work at the docks would sit in Teahouse with their coworkers during their free time, indulging in a bowl of piping hot tea that could be refilled as many times as they wanted, while listening to the storyteller on stage telling Storybook.

They didn't leave until the tea was completely tasteless, only then did they reluctantly depart with their coworkers.

The jokes told in such situations are usually bawdy jokes.

It's not presentable.

Commonly known as vulgar.

He immediately rejected this person, as such a person was naturally incapable of revising the history books.

But

In recent days.

Following a report from the "Mortal Domain Shadow Pavilion," and thanks to the fact that transportation in the Mortal Domain had spread throughout the Eternal Night Continent and was extremely convenient, a folk Storybook originated among the common people began to circulate widely and became extremely popular.

Many Teahouse are talking about it.

The Mortal Domain Shadow Pavilion is not only responsible for gathering intelligence from the outside world, but also for collecting information from the general public to ensure the stability of his rule.

The Storybook titled "Golden Plum".

His pupils contracted sharply when he saw the name, because it sounded very familiar, differing from a well-known story from his previous life by only one character. His first thought was that another transmigrator had arrived.

But after seeing the story synopsis, I ruled that out.

The background is "The First Spring Examination in the Mortal Domain".

On his way to take the exam in "Mortal City", a poor student begged for money because he had no travel expenses. He encountered many harassing people along the way, but there were also many acts of kindness. For example, a Brothel offered him the money she had saved to redeem herself as travel expenses.

He later Top Ranker in the exam.

Returning home in glory.

On the way back, all those who had previously made things difficult for the examinees came begging for mercy with fear on their faces, while those who had helped the examinees were rewarded with kindness. Among them, the Brothel was even discovered to be Fox-Demon Form. Because she had helped the Top Ranker examinee in Mortal Domain to pass the exam, she was freed from her demon form and allowed to take Humanoid Form. That's roughly the gist of the story.

It has plot twists, exciting moments, mythology, and melancholy, and it's set just in time for the upcoming Mortal Domain Spring Examination, making it highly immersive.

It has become widely known.

"That's interesting."

As Chen Fan sat on the High-Speed Rail heading to Cave One, he put down the Storybook he had already finished reading, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.

Having witnessed many things in his past lives, this kind of storyline naturally felt a bit weak.

However, it was somewhat ahead of its time to be born in an era that didn't have a strong demand for storytelling.

Before that.

No Storybook has ever become popular throughout the entire Eternal Night Continent. Besides the inconvenient transportation, the main reason is that in an environment where everyone is worried about dying at the hands of Strange Entities tomorrow, no one will pay attention to a Storybook.

This seems to be just a Storybook with a satisfying plot.

But in a certain sense...

This also ushered in a new cultural era for the "Eternal Night Continent".

Perhaps from now on.

This will lead to a surge in more cultural works.

Just then

Chen Fan stepped off the High-Speed Rail and arrived at the Nameless Mountain, preparing to head towards Cave One, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. Looking up, he saw auspicious clouds gathering overhead, and a waterfall composed of countless Gold Grade light points was slowly enveloping him.

The next moment!

He saw a panel emerge from the Depths of the Soul.

"One of the Second-Level Continent Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing in the Mortal Domain."

"The Cultural Birth."

"Cultural Birth": A literary or musical work originates among the people, spreads throughout the continent, and becomes known to a certain number of people. Prize: Dark Technology Source Point, 5 billion Eerie Stone.

Chen Fan was slightly stunned. This was a completely unexpected surprise, because he had no idea what the Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing of the Second-Level Continent was. It was all done unintentionally.

"How?"

Just then, the Mr. Na materialized beside him, holding a bowl of bone broth in his hand. His lips were greasy, indicating he had just finished eating something. He chuckled and said, "How does it feel to suddenly complete a Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing?"

"Last time I asked if you wanted to know what the Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing of the Second-Level Continent was."

"You said that since it can't be completed in a short time, there's no need to know."

"Do you want to know now?"

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about it."

"Cough."

The Mr. Na coughed lightly, then casually pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the grease from the corner of his mouth. "The Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing of the First-Level Continent are five, and the Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing of the Second-Level Continent are also five."

"One of them is the Cultural Birth. You should already know that it requires a literary work to be created on the continent that is known to a certain number of people, and these people need to come from all corners of the Eternal Night Continent."

The remaining four are...

"The Imperial Examination": A nationwide grand Imperial Examination was held to select the Top Ranker fairly and impartially.

"Trade Routes": Establish trade relations with any number of continents, and exceed 100 billion in the amount of Eerie Stone and water.

"World Exploration": Discover any Rare Island or Special Terrain.

"The Three-Year Pact": This refers to the three-year protection period following the advancement to the Second-Level Continent.

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, deep in thought. After completing the five Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing, and possessing ten piles of Soil from Other Continents and a "Continent Core," he could advance to the Third-Level Continent.

Currently...

These Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing are not difficult to complete; they can definitely be completed within three years. He already has the Continent Core; now all he needs is the Soil.

"New Continent", "Huyi Continent", "Feng Qiya Continent", "Dark Eerie Continent".

Now he only has the Soil from Other Continents.

The Dark Eerie Continent has trade ties with several other continents, so they must have Soil from Other Continents. However, the Dark Eerie Continent considers it a "Strategic Resource" and is unwilling to trade with it.

That's understandable.

The Dark Eerie Continent also does not want a Third-Level Continent to suddenly emerge in this Sea Domain, or rather, no continent or race wants a power to suddenly rise in this Sea Domain, as that would greatly affect the current power structure.

But,

The Heavenly Dao's Blessing of "Cultural Birth" requires works to originate from the people. If someone knows this in advance and intervenes, they might be able to obtain this Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing more quickly, but it's hard to say.

Most people on the mainland are unaware of what the Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing is; they acquire it suddenly during the course of development, like he just did. The fact that the Mr. Na told him so explicitly is essentially cheating.

But he cheated in so many ways, it doesn't make a difference if he cheats a little more.

"Isn't Fallen Firmament considered Special Terrain?"

"Of course."

The Mr. Na nodded with absolute certainty. "The so-called Rare Island are those I've told you about, such as Island with a 'Dark Technology Tree,' or Island with other special effects. 'Fallen Firmament,' a place I've never even heard of before, definitely counts as Special Terrain."

"But you haven't gone up yet, have you?"

"Once you go up there, this Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing will naturally be completed."

Chen Fan nodded and said nothing more, striding into the Cave. The current exploration of the Mortal Domain is still within 10,000 kilometers, which is not too far. Even though the Feng Qiya Continent, which is 14,000 kilometers away, has been discovered, it is only along a line. Such a large Sea Domain is not just along a line. No Rare Island have been found.

The area within a radius of 10,000 kilometers hasn't been fully explored yet. The exploration efficiency of the Flying Boat is somewhat low, but it's already the best means of exploration in the Mortal Domain right now. Let's wait until the imperial examination is over before making any further plans.

Three days later, the Spring Examination will be over, and I'll be able to complete another Hidden Heavenly Dao's Blessing.

As for the trade involving hundreds of billions of Eerie Stone, perhaps we could discuss it with the Dark Eerie Continent and try to "boost" the turnover. As long as we're diligent, even if both sides only have one million Eerie Stone as capital, boosting the turnover to over a trillion shouldn't be a problem.

There's no tax or anything required for this.

The Eternal Night Continent.

At this moment, everyone from peddlers and laborers to merchants of all sizes, including dancers in Brothel and laborers on the docks, was paying attention to this event, which was the First Spring Examination in the Mortal Domain.

It receives an extremely high level of attention.

The reason the Grand Examination were scheduled for Spring was twofold: firstly, it facilitated travel, and secondly, it was the perfect time of year after the widespread establishment of Private School. "Understood."

Inside an Inn in Mortal City, a Middle-Aged Man looked expectantly at the young man dressed in Hemp Robe before him. "Just perform normally, don't be nervous, try to get the top spot on the 'Formation' Top Ranker."

"Father"

The young man said somewhat nervously, "Maybe... maybe I shouldn't take the exam. What if I get the top spot on the Formation Top Ranker? Won't people say that the First Spring Examination in the Na Tian Mortal Domain was cheated? After all, I'm your son."

"And Father, you are the master of the Mortal Domain Formation Pavilion."

Yes.

The man who brought his child to Mortal City like an ordinary parent was none other than Zhang Qianqiu, the Pavilion Master the Mortal Domain Formation Pavilion.

A truly prominent figure in the Mortal Domain.

He was also the founder of the Formation Pavilion. It can be said that the Formation Pavilion wouldn't exist in the Mortal Domain without him. His research on Teleportation Formation was extremely thorough. Based on Teleportation Formation arrays, he improved many Formation based on Teleportation Formation, such as the "Unlimited-Distance Permanent Teleportation Formation". He also created several Formation himself. His reputation was not as great as that of Crippled Monkey or Wang Kui.

However, they are also among the absolute elites of the Mortal Domain.

"You're a bit too confident in yourself." The Middle-Aged Man rolled his eyes. "What if you happen to get Top Ranker? Just take it first. If you do, I'll take all the pressure for you."

"Back then, I was just a Formation Master on the Yellow Springs Mouth Region defense line. There were countless people like me on the Eternal Night Continent. I only rose to a high position because I was fortunate enough to join the Mortal Domain early."

Even if I carefully train you this year, I'm not sure you can take the Top Ranker.

"But the Domain Lord says you're a genius."

"There are too many geniuses in this world; it's no exaggeration to say they're as numerous as carp crossing a river." The middle-aged man sneered. "Besides, if I wanted to, you wouldn't need to take the Spring Examination; placing you in the Mortal Domain Formation Pavilion wouldn't be difficult for you."

"You must pass the Spring Examination to enter the Mortal Domain."

I don't think anyone can find a single valid point about me.

Even if the Domain Lord himself came...

"I am also upright and honest."

"Go ahead and do as you please. I will personally seek clarification from the Domain Lord regarding any rumors or gossip!"

"Yes!"

The young man, brimming with enthusiasm, nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at his father. In his heart, his father's journey from a poor man to Formation Master on the Yellow Springs Pass Defense Line, then joining the Mortal Domain as the master of the Formation Pavilion, and finally becoming the head of the "Jiangbei Zhang Family," was almost too miraculous.

Based on the Family founded by Zhang Qianqiu, they used to stay at the Yellow Springs Pass Defense Line and had few relatives. Their relatives were scattered in various places and they had no time to take care of them. Later, when Eternal Night unified the country, transportation became convenient.

Former relatives came to stay with them.

After they came together, they formed the "Jiangbei Zhang Family".

The Family is located in "Jiangbei," now the absolute core area of the Eternal Night Continent. Any Family or power whose name includes the words "Jiangbei" is basically an extremely powerful Family. Ordinary Family would never dare to use these two words as a prefix for their Family or power.

Such things happen frequently in the Mortal Domain.

Many people who hold high positions in the Mortal Domain are the Clan Chief of large Family behind them.

After achieving success and fame, one naturally attracts more relatives.

The Mortal Domain is a powerful force.

The Mortal Domain Lord is Chen Fan.

Below the Mortal Domain are numerous small forces, and Chen Fan did not try to suppress them too much. After all, it was normal for his Subordinate to want their families to live better lives after achieving success, and not every one of his Subordinate was an orphan.

Not all Subordinate his Subordinate were orphans.

As long as nothing excessive is done, such as wanting a Family to control a key node in the Mortal Domain, Chen Fan can turn a blind eye. However, if Zhang Qianqiu intends to replace all the people in the Formation Pavilion with members of his own Family, then...

Some people are bound to die.

Mortal City.

Crowds gathered around the notice boards erected on both sides of the street, which clearly listed the Nine Subjects for the Spring Examination in three days. For example...

"Formation", "Arithmetic", "management", "Military Strategy", "infrastructure", etc.

The discussion was lively and engaging.

"Arithmetic is definitely a hot subject this year. My cousin, who is also my uncle's son-in-law's nephew, works as a cook in the Mortal Domain. He revealed a secret to me: the Mortal Domain is preparing to officially establish a 'Finance Pavilion,' and the Top Ranker in Arithmetic this year will be the Finance Pavilion Master."

"If anyone passes this exam, it will be a meteoric rise, instantly making them one of the most core high-ranking officials in the Mortal Domain. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they're second only to the emperor."

A man who appeared to be a merchant sighed with considerable emotion, "It's a pity my son is such a disappointment, otherwise I, as his father, could finally enjoy a peaceful retirement."

"There's no age limit for this Spring Examination, and it doesn't require you to be studying in Private School. Anyone can take it. Why don't you give it a try?" The words fell.

The vendor's face immediately turned red. "I tried, but I failed the basic selection."

A burst of laughter immediately erupted from the surrounding area.

Before this Spring Examination, there were preliminary examinations in various places. Only those who passed the basic selection examination could participate in the Spring Examination. In other words, without exception, everyone who could participate in the Spring Examination was one in ten thousand.

They've basically all been pre-selected to join the Mortal Domain.

Your position is determined solely by your ranking.

If you ask me, well...

Just then, an Elderly Man beside him whispered mysteriously, "The subject of 'Arithmetic' is incredibly competitive; for every success, countless others fail. It would be better to go into 'management,' a subject that's part of the Logistics Pavilion and the Heavenly Storehouse Pavilion."

Both of these departments are good departments.

"Good benefits, high safety."

"Most importantly, it's said that the atmosphere in the Logistics Pavilion and the Heavenly Storehouse Pavilion is quite good, with little competitive pressure, making it a promising career path."

"That's not even as good as 'Agronomy,' you can go straight to 'Hundred Grains Pavilion,'" a man next to him retorted. "The competition would be much less intense there, and the younger generation should be ready to face the world with pride, not settle for a comfortable life."

"If you ask me, we should go to the 'Commerce Pavilion'."

"Explore the continent."

"The Mortal Domain is currently developing, and the Commerce Pavilion has the best chance to make great contributions. Discovering a new continent would be a major achievement. Wasn't it King Mazi, the Pavilion Master the Commerce Pavilion, who established his position by discovering New Continent back then?"

"The Commerce Pavilion is the department young people should be in."

"To achieve great deeds and bring honor to one's ancestors."

Beneath the notice board, a group of people were engaged in a lively discussion, each with their own ideas.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan, disguised and accompanied by the Crippled Monkey, stood on the outskirts of the crowd, leaning on his cane with one hand, watching the scene unfold with a smile in his eyes.