The Prefectural Examination Begins!

The next day, Jiang Yan made time specifically to take Xiao Jiang Li to the county town for a day of fun.

The days that followed were peaceful, and he immersed himself in cultivation every day.

Until this day, when Jiang Yan was still cultivating cross-legged on his bed and was roused by the ringing of a bell.

The bell rang clear and loud, reaching his ears abruptly without affecting his cultivation in the slightest.

The Dao Academy's bell had rung. The Prefecture Examination was beginning!

Jiang Yan opened his eyes, his composure unchanged. He had already made the best preparations he could. Even if it was the Prefecture Examination, what was there to fear?

There was nothing much to pack. Taking his thumb ring and Jinbao, he pushed open the door and walked out.

The clan head and his second uncle's family were already waiting at the door.

Seeing Jiang Yan emerge, his second uncle hesitated to speak. After a moment's thought, he said nothing and merely patted his shoulder.

There were too many people outside, so his second aunt stayed home with Jiang Li.

When they reached the street, it was already bustling with people. After all, everyone wanted to join the excitement and broaden their horizons at an event as important as the Prefecture Examination.

Fortunately, the Dao Academy was not far away. With the clan head and his second uncle clearing a path ahead, they reached its entrance fairly smoothly.

The open space outside the Dao Academy was packed so tightly that not even water could pass through.

There were not only people, but all manner of spirits, birds, and beasts, in human form, beast form, and every stage of partial transformation.

Whenever someone who looked like a candidate approached, numerous figures swarmed toward them.

They had all come to gamble on wealth and status. These people and spirits could not gain admission to the Prefecture Academy through their own abilities.

Yet unwilling to abandon the path to immortality, they made a point of blocking the entrance when the Prefecture Academy held its examination, seeking masters. The Dao Academy's disciples jokingly called them "Dao-begging households."

There were even several in the ninth grade realm among these Dao-begging households, now squeezing forward and desperately selling themselves like ordinary people in a marketplace.

If they were fortunate enough to be taken in by a disciple as a servant or mount, even their chickens and dogs could ascend to heaven: they could enter the Prefecture Academy alongside their master.

One example was the young wolf Jiang Yan had used to perform the Curse-Subduing Technique during the annual examination.

Like the people and spirits gathered here, it had once knelt and begged for a master before the county examination.

In the end, its striking, unusually white coat had caught the eye of a disciple from the County Daoist Academy, who took it in as a mount.

As for the black wolf demon's claim that it had entered the county academy, that was merely boasting and gilding its own face.

Had that young wolf truly been a Dao Academy disciple, dealing with its father would not have fallen to Jiang Yan. The immortal dynasty's Punishment Office would have had jurisdiction.

Enough of that. Jiang Yan's youthful face, along with the two men constantly clearing a path and escorting him forward, made it obvious that he was a candidate in this Prefecture Examination.

Naturally, this drew many people over to offer their services.

"Master, take me in!"

"Take me instead, master! I'm in the ninth grade realm!"

Jiang Yan had an extraordinary bearing, making him precisely the sort of master the Dao-begging households hoped for.

More than one cultivator from the Ninth Grade Realm approached. No sooner had the first finished speaking than a female cultivator squeezed over.

"Master, choose me! Not only am I in the ninth grade realm, I've also practiced the bedchamber arts!"

At these words, even Second Uncle Jiang, who was shielding Jiang Yan as they advanced, could not help looking over.

He himself was only in the upper ninth-rank realm, yet cultivators from the Ninth Grade Realm here were already offering to become his nephew's servants?

In that moment of distraction, a woman suddenly rushed out of the crowd of spectators behind them and dropped to her knees before Jiang Yan.

"Dao master! Please take me in, Dao master! I can endure hardship!"

She was actually an ordinary person without a single special skill.

Strictly speaking, she was not even qualified to offer her services. She had probably screwed up her courage and rushed out.

Coming back to his senses, his second uncle shielded Jiang Yan again and led him farther inside.

Jiang Yan acted as though he had not seen the woman kneeling before him.

Not just her-he would not take in those two ninth-grade cultivators either.

He had yet to achieve much in his own cultivation. Where would he find spare resources to train subordinates?

Keeping his gaze straight ahead, Jiang Yan acted as though he had heard none of their words and followed the two men, squeezing all the way into the Dao Academy.

Once inside the Dao Academy, things immediately improved. Offering their services outside was one thing, but there was absolutely no chance these people would be allowed inside to cause a commotion.

"Phew."

Though Second Uncle Jiang had not broken a sweat, he still wiped his forehead.

"These people get crazier every year, shoving with all their might."

"Heh, what good would it do even if they squeezed their way in? If they can't stand out here, they'll only fare worse at the Prefecture Academy!"

The reply came not from Jiang Yan or Jiang Hanzhi, but from a middle-aged man nearby.

"Exactly!"

Second Uncle Jiang was well versed in social dealings and immediately picked up the conversation.

A young disciple stood beside the man, who had clearly also come to see a junior off for the Prefecture Examination.

Jiang Yan happened to know this disciple.

His name was Li Daoyuan. Not only did his name evoke the Dao, but his talent was also good, and his results placed him among the county academy's best.

Judging by his presence, his physical cultivation should also have reached perfection, though Jiang Yan did not know whether he had mastered a cultivation method.

He nodded in greeting, and Li Daoyuan nodded back.

While their elders chatted, the two of them closed their eyes and rested their minds.

Seeing this, Second Uncle Jiang and the man both lowered their voices.

None of the noise outside penetrated the Dao Academy. As time passed, disciples came in from time to time.

Among them were some Jiang Yan knew, but at this juncture, with neither friend nor foe clear, none rashly offered a greeting.

Everyone waited a while longer, until no more disciples entered.

Boom!

The Dao Academy's two gates, each ten feet tall, suddenly swung shut with a resounding crash.

Jiang Yan opened his eyes and exchanged a glance with Li Daoyuan beside him.

It seemed the time had come.

"Kekeke, good, good. This year's youngsters are of quite decent quality."

The sudden voice sounded overhead, and Jiang Yan looked up.

Above the Dao Academy, a figure in pitch-black Daoist robes stood motionless in midair, looking down and studying them.

Clearly, he was the one who had spoken.

He was turning his neck, sweeping his gaze back and forth over the disciples gathered below, nodding from time to time and chuckling in satisfaction.

His gaze also swept over Jiang Yan, and he likewise gave a satisfied chuckle.

"Quite good quality indeed. Youngsters, stop staring.

"In past years, the instructors took you to the Prefecture Examination. This year, I, your headmaster, will take you personally."

This black-robed man in the sky was actually the Dao Academy's headmaster, the Black Gu Daoist?

Jiang Yan had naturally heard his headmaster's title. He could even guess a little about the Dao Path he cultivated from that Daoist title.

He simply did not know what grade his cultivation had reached, and had never seen him before.

Nor was he alone. Probably very few disciples in the entire Dao Academy had ever seen the headmaster.

While he was speculating about the headmaster's cultivation, the Black Gu Daoist in the sky flicked his hand through the air, throwing out a black speck the size of a bean.

The black speck swelled in the wind. In the blink of an eye, a strange black tree appeared before them.

The tree bore a canopy and stood no more than fifty or sixty feet tall, while its trunk measured around fifty feet across.

The black tree had only ten branches, each bearing several banana-like leaves. From afar, it looked more like a spiked stone.

"Kekeke, today I'll broaden your horizons, youngsters. Have a ride on my Black Gu Tree."

"Hmm, too many people. There isn't room. This year, I'll take only the disciples. The rest of you can go home and wait for news. The immortal path is arduous; how can they be propped up forever?"

After speaking, the Black Gu Daoist gave no one time to reply.

With a sweep of one hand, he sent the Black Gu Tree's leaves stretching downward, roughly wrapping up the disciples one by one.

Several disciples instinctively tried to resist, but their efforts were like a passing breeze and had no effect whatsoever.

The Black Gu Daoist paid this no heed. Sitting cross-legged atop the canopy, he simply left the disciples wrapped up and flew away on the tree.

Though the tree was strangely shaped, it was extremely fast. In moments, it vanished from sight, leaving the families' elders looking at one another.

"Fourth Uncle, this...?"

Jiang Huannian looked hesitant. Was this really taking the disciples to the Prefecture Examination?

Why did it look more like an Evil Dao fiend had come to seize blood offerings?