Becoming a Sage Starts From Condensing the Essence of Time - Chapter 96
Chapter 96: Entering the Secluded Bamboo Forest, The Young Man’s Flying Sword Is the First to Move (3)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The young man grinned, his eyes burning.
“I’m Han Shi from Cangzhou. Nice to meet you.” The young man cupped his fists.
Cangzhou… was the area where the Blue Wave River was located?
He was from the army?
As if he had guessed An Le’s thoughts, Han Shi smiled and said, “Indeed, I’m participating in the Spring Quarter Examination with the military quota. I also have hope and want to enter the Scholar Ranking List A and enter the Hall Examination to prove that there are cultured people in our army.”
An Le smiled and found this person interesting, so he started chatting with Han Shi.
“Those scholars on the Literary Music Ranking of the Literary Department must have recognized you, but they deliberately ignored you. Since ancient times, scholars have underestimated each other. It’s indeed reasonable.”
“The scholars on the Literary Music Ranking are all very arrogant. I’ve heard of them in the military.”
Han Shi glanced into the distance and saw people gathered together as if they were the scholars who isolated An Le.
“Master An is famous in Lin’an. If they can pass the Spring Quarter
Examination and suppress Master An, they will naturally become famous in one go,” Han Shi said as he glanced at An Le, who had a relaxed expression.
An Le did not mind. “If I’m suppressed, it’s because my skills are inferior. They naturally have the right to become famous.”
When Han Shi heard this, he couldn’t help but give a thumbs up. “Domineering and carefree. As expected of Master An who can beat up Wang Qinhe.”
“Master An should be quite unfamiliar with the Literary Music Ranking. That’s an internal ranking of the Literary Department. It means that the target of those on the rankings hopes to trigger literary qi on the Literary Monument.
It’s quite notarized.”
An Le couldn’t help but ask Han Shi curiously about the Literary Music Ranking and the Literary Monument.
Han Shi was also a bold and straightforward person. He spoke everything he knew.
At noon.
“Clang…
With a crisp sound, the bell rang, representing the opening of the last cultivation assessment of the Spring Quarter Examination.
On the grass field, someone came over. Other than the officials from the Ministry of Rites who were in charge of recording the results of the Spring Quarter Examination, there was also an old man.
The old man was wearing a Confucian shirt and had his hands behind his back. The scholarly aura around him was extremely rich, and his eyes were deep as if they contained a starlight. Just by standing there, it was as if he had great wisdom.
“Second Headmaster.”
The scholars on the Literary Music Rankings all bowed.
An Le, Han Shi, and many cultivators who came from other places also cupped their hands and bowed.
There were three Headmasters in the Literary Department, and every one of them was an extremely famous Great Confucian. They were all extremely powerful existences, and like the Martial Chief of the Martial Temple, they had respected statuses and were the pillars of support.
Second Headmaster Pang Ji’s gaze was benevolent and wise. He swept his gaze around and finally landed on An Le. He was very interested in the young man who wrote in the essay, ‘Expel the barbarians and reclaim the Central Plains.’
Retracting his gaze, Second Headmaster Pang Ji smiled and said, “After the three Spring Quarter Examination written tests, you’re only short of today’s cultivation test to ascend to the Hall Examination.”
“The cultivation test after the last Spring Quarter Examination was set up by the Martial Temple. This time, it’s set up by the Literary Department. I hope everyone will treat it seriously.”
After the Second Headmaster finished speaking, he turned around and let everyone follow him.
Everyone followed the Second Headmaster respectfully and silently as they walked deeper into the Literary Department.
The students on the Literary Monument Ranking were puzzled because they realized that this was in the direction of the Literary Department’s sacred artifact, the Literary Monument. Could it be that this cultivation assessment was related to the Literary Monument?
As expected, when he walked through the small path, his vision suddenly opened up. Along with the peach trees on both sides scattering peach petals, he saw a dense bamboo forest that could be heard in the wind. In the depths of the bamboo forest, there was a wordless stone tablet standing in the pavilion.
The sun shone down, and the stone tablet seemed to reflect the vast starlight that was like the night.
An Le looked at this stone tablet and inexplicably felt peace. It was as if he felt a torrential literary intent surging. The Ink Pool Sword at his waist trembled slightly as if it could not help but whistle.
“This is the Literary Monument… I didn’t expect that I, Han Shi, would actually be able to see the Literary Monument of the Literary Department in my lifetime. I’ve really opened my eyes. Many generals who want to see the Literary Monument will be blocked outside by the river formed by the saliva of the Confucian scholars of the Literary Department.”
Han Shi, who was beside An Le, clicked his tongue in wonder and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
However, after watching for a while, he lost interest. “It’s not as domineering as our Martial Temple’s Martial Chief Stone.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a few Confucian scholars on the Literary Music Ranking beside him glared at him, as if they were glaring at this disrespectful person.
An Le smiled and did not say anything. The dominance was indeed inferior to the Martial Chief Stone. The Martial Chief Stone had been watered by the blood essence of generations of Martial Chiefs, so it was naturally extraordinary. However, the mystery of the Literary Monument was more restrained.
“The Martial Temple has the rules of the Martial Temple’s assessment. The
Literary Department naturally follows the Literary Department’s rules.”
“There’s a bamboo forest in front of the Literary Monument. It’s called the Heart Questioning Forest. Crossing the Heart Questioning Forest and approaching the Literary Monument will be the cultivation test this time. The ranking will be calculated according to the distance you’re close to. Of course, whether you can enter the Hall Examination in the end will depend on your literary test results.”
Second Headmaster Pang Ji chuckled.
As soon as he finished speaking, an uproar sounded from the Confucian scholars on the Literary Music Ranking.
The Heart Questioning Forest was famous for being difficult to walk in. After entering the forest, the dark bamboo shadows were hazy. It tested the mental power of the Spirit Refinement Realm. If one’s mental power was insufficient, one would even be lost in the forest and unable to move an inch.
However, if he could enter the Heart Inquisition Forest, the further he walked in the Heart Inquisition Forest, the more benefits there would be. It would be extremely helpful for the cleansing of his mental power.
The Martial Temple’s Body Tempering and the Literary Department’s Spirit Refinement naturally had a clear division.
The Heart Questioning Forest was the Spirit Refinement ground of the Literary Department.
Therefore, the fact that the Heart Questioning Forest was used for this assessment had indeed caused many Confucian scholars on the Literary Music Ranking to be puzzled and puzzled. After all, to them, walking in the Heart
Questioning Forest naturally had a huge advantage. Every student on the Literary Music Ranking had a detailed understanding of the rhythm, route, and even some details.
“This is my decision after discussing it with the First Headmaster and Third Headmaster.”
“Everyone, if you’re ready, you can enter the forest at any time. The final ranking will be calculated according to the distance between you and the
Literary Monument.”
Second Headmaster smiled kindly.
“Yes.”
The students on the Literary Music Rankings and the examinees from all over the world cupped their fists and bowed.
After that, all of them looked at the emerald-green bamboo forest. Sunlight shone down from the jade green sky and passed through the mottled bamboo leaves to splash gold on the ground.
The students on the Literary Music Ranking were all excited.
Since the Headmasters were so obviously biased, they naturally could not tarnish the Literary Department’s reputation.
The students on the Literary Music Ranking raised their heads and puffed out their chests. They were filled with confidence as they walked towards the bamboo forest and stood outside it. They began to release their mental power to outline the route and plan for walking in the forest.
However, when they were still planning their route…
Extremely excited sword cries resounded from the side. A black sword shadow quickly swept out, like an ink line suddenly drawn on a piece of white paper. The sword qi that slapped up continuously swept away the jade-green bamboo branches. It floated down and scattered the bamboo leaves, diffusing into the Heart Questioning Forest.
An Le was a little helpless. He smiled apologetically at Han Shi beside him and the stunned Literary Music Ranking students in the distance.
His white clothes were as white as snow, and he wore Green Mountain at his waist.
He stepped into the depths of the bamboo shadows.
Master An, who was famous in Lin’an, didn’t even make a mental detection and route plan for the Heart Questioning Forest.
Suppressing the Confucian scholars on the Literary Music Ranking, he entered the forest first!
