Greenfox Daoist

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Chenniu, you're as impatient as ever. Let's begin, then."

"Quite right, quite right. The sooner we start, the sooner we can finish and attend to our own business."

The academy heads reached an agreement in a few words.

They set down their cups and straightened their robes and headwear.

Then they rose together and bowed in unison toward the unoccupied seat of honor at the head of the seating area.

"The Prefecture Examination candidates are in position. We respectfully invite Green Fox High Person to preside over the examination."

Without a sound or stir, a Daoist abruptly appeared in the seat of honor.

He wore green Daoist robes and had a long, narrow face, with a fair amount of fine fur along his cheeks.

Most striking of all was the vertical azure eye in the center of his forehead.

Apart from that, there was nothing else unusual about Greenfox Daoist.

Yet this gathering of Seventh-Rank Realm academy heads all bowed to him respectfully, not daring to show the slightest neglect.

"Enough. There's no need for so much empty ceremony."

Only after he spoke did the academy heads straighten up.

Black Gu Daoist hesitated for a moment before asking:

"Lord Green Fox, one of the Dao Academy's Five Lords handles the Prefecture Examination each year. Why have you been troubled to come in person this year...?"

"Stop guessing. It's all because of that plane you reported. The Dao Academy is terribly busy now, so I came out for a little peace and quiet."

Greenfox Daoist propped his elbow to one side, resting his face against the heel of his palm as his fingers gently brushed the fine fur on his cheek.

"You were rather lucky, though unfortunately a little lacking in strength. How many died this time?"

"Nine went. Only three returned."

Black Gu looked grim, but he still cupped his hands and answered.

Cultivation on the immortal path was no easy matter and required a great many resources.

Every Daoist of the Immortal Dynasty wished to wage war on other planes. Capturing a plane, even a tiny one, would yield an enormous harvest.

Thus, without exception, the first thing Daoists practiced after reaching the seventh rank was the World-Measuring Method.

As its name suggested, the World-Measuring Method was used to determine the locations of other planes within the vast Outer Void, making it easier for Daoists to attack them.

But the Outer Void was boundless. Seventh-rank Daoists could not yet venture through it and could only take measurements from within the Dao Realm.

The chance of finding a plane was therefore very small, though not nonexistent.

The plane reported to the Dao Academy this time had been found through a lucky measurement by a friend of Black Gu Daoist.

Under the Immortal Dynasty's rules, any Daoist was entitled to wage war on a plane whose ownership had not been publicly declared.

But invading an entire plane was truly difficult, so lower-ranked Daoists usually chose to cooperate with the Dao Academy.

They would provide the plane's coordinates, then receive a share of the proceeds based on subsequent developments. This was the safest approach, but it also greatly reduced their returns.

That friend of Black Gu's had been stuck at the seventh rank for years and hoped to use this opportunity to rise to a Sixth-Rank Realm High Person in one stroke.

So he had not reported it, instead privately inviting several friends, making nine in total.

He had also paid a high price to rent a Void Boat, preparing to attack on their own.

His decision had not been impulsive.

According to the feedback from the measuring method, the other side should have been nothing more than a tiny plane.

With nine seventh-rank Daoists on their side, nothing should have gone wrong as long as they were careful.

Their plan had been to kill the other side's upper-level forces first and harvest the very best resources, then cooperate with the Dao Academy on developing the rest of the plane.

But after they carefully entered the plane aboard their rented Void Boat, something unexpected happened.

At first, the plan went smoothly. They found the strongest faction in that plane.

And its supposed strongest expert was only equivalent to the Dao Realm's seventh rank. Nine against one-there was no reason they should lose.

Yet on the verge of death, that native actually summoned a phantom whose strength reached the Sixth-Rank Realm. The moment it appeared, it effortlessly wiped out three of them.

Even though the remaining six immediately scattered, each fleeing on his own.

The phantom still wiped out another three in succession before exhausting its power. After that battle.

The remaining three, Black Gu Daoist among them, dared take no further risks. They fled straight back to the Dao Realm and reported the plane to the Dao Academy.

That friend of Black Gu Daoist had also died within the plane.

That was also why he had spoken about planar exploration to a group of County Daoist Academy disciples earlier. He had merely been shaken by the experience.

"From what you said, though the plane itself is tiny, it has a stronger power behind it. Most likely, it's ruled by some medium-sized plane.

"The academy is already investigating. If it really is a medium-sized plane, your rewards won't be small."

Having said this, Greenfox Daoist shook his head, stopping the other academy heads who were about to ask questions.

"Enough. Every one of you is certainly well informed. I was wondering why you'd all come.

"If we really do go to war, you'll naturally have your share. Let's begin the Prefecture Examination first, before the little fellows below grow impatient."

The disciples below looked up eagerly at everyone in the sky. A spell blocked the sound, so they could not hear a thing.

They were all curious about what the academy heads were discussing around that man, but no one dared speak. They simply waited quietly.

At last, the Daoist in the seat of honor waved his hand and removed the sound barrier. A gentle, refined voice reached those below.

"Listen carefully, disciples. I am Green Fox High Person, responsible for overseeing this Prefecture Examination.

"Chenniu, since the examination is being held in your Rosyglow County this time, have you devised any examination tasks?"

The first part was Green Fox's introduction, while the latter was directed at the head of Rosyglow County's Dao Academy.

Daoist Chenniu bowed, his thickset body looking somewhat comical.

"Reporting to you, High Person, this humble Daoist has devised several tasks following the precedents of past years.

"The first is to pair all the candidates against one another in individual combat, placing the victors at the top."

"No, no. Far too slow. The Dao Academy is still waiting for me."

Greenfox Daoist shook his head in refusal.

"Then how about grouping them by their respective Dao Academies, having the twenty-three academies compete in spell combat, and selecting those who excel?"

"Still too slow, still too slow."

"Then how about dividing the candidates into two opposing sides and again selecting those who excel?"

Seeing Green Fox still shake his head, Daoist Chenniu could not help spreading his hands.

"High Person, this is already the fastest method. Based on past experience, we can have the results in three days. Any other method would only be slower."

"Oh, very well. Since the Dao Academy is pressing me so urgently, I'll just have to do it myself."

Green Fox High Person sighed, but his movements were swift. He stood and swept his sleeve toward Jiang Yan and the others below.

Jinbao was immediately restrained off to one side, unable to move. The other disciples' spirit beasts met the same fate.

Spirit beasts were not permitted in the Prefecture Examination. Otherwise, couldn't disciples from great clans bring spirit beasts with powerful bloodlines and sweep through all opposition?

After all, even Jiang Yan's Golden Treasure Toad had been acquired with his clan's help at considerable cost.

Before they could react, cries of alarm rose from the disciples.

"Ah!"

"Wh-why am I flying?"

With this move, Green Fox High Person had not only restrained the spirit beasts, but also directly lifted every examination candidate from all twenty-three Dao Academies present.

Densely packed figures floated in the sky.

Jiang Yan was startled when he rose into the air, but quickly settled down and began looking around.

Among all the disciples, he floated in the highest tier, with only around a hundred others nearby.

Looking farther down, the numbers gradually increased, until roughly half the disciples were gathered at the very bottom.

"Your bodies have too many deficiencies. Go back and temper them carefully before coming again."

As his words fell, Green Fox High Person raised a hand and pointed. The entire bottom half of the disciples landed on the ground.

"There are still too many left. You lot can go down too."

Another roughly thirty percent were set down on the ground.

Only twenty percent of the disciples remained floating in the sky, and Jiang Yan was naturally among them.

"Hmm, that's about right. Let me see which paths you all cultivate."

As these words reached his ears, Jiang Yan rose another stretch higher. There were now only a few dozen people around him.

Jiang Yan understood. Green Fox High Person was clearly arranging them according to cultivation.

Those who had successfully cultivated their cultivation methods were at the very top. Those with perfected bodies who had not successfully cultivated their methods were below them, followed by those whose bodies had yet to reach perfection.

Disciples at the same height were further ranked by the Dao Paths they cultivated. This was indeed much faster.

But how would the final placings be decided?