Yangjing, this time the Jinshi regular examination was presided over by Yuan Cheng, the Vice Minister of Rites. Li Qian, who had just turned twenty years old, came to Yangjing a year ago to prepare for the exam.
"This time, I must pass the imperial examination!" Sitting in a single room temporarily separated by the Ministry of Rites, Li Qian looked at several elderly people with gray hair opposite and on his left and right. He suddenly felt a little sad. He must not be like these people this time, waiting until they are gray-haired to succeed.
Moreover, before I came here, the teacher of the academy personally saw me and others off, and gave me special instructions, saying that he had very high expectations of me and that I must not let the teacher down in any way.
Thinking of this, Li Qian couldn't help but recall the man in black and red ancient robes whom he had seen several times near the forbidden area of the Xiansheng Palace in the backyard. He looked very much like Saint Feng. Before he left, he dreamed that he handed him a jade pendant and asked him to hang it around his waist.
"When the star destiny is activated, be careful not to show your edge, especially your destiny artifact, which must not be lost."
Li Qian couldn't help but think of more things: "Could it really be Saint Feng? How could such a saint pay attention to an ordinary disciple of the academy?"
"The star destiny is opening? I heard that this world is the reincarnation of the star gods of the heavenly court in the upper realm. Am I one of them?"
Li Qian, who graduated from Shangxian Academy, followed several disciples who also graduated from the academy to Beijing to take the Jinshi examination. Li Qian did not seem so noticeable among them. Whether in terms of fame or other factors, the people from Shangxian Academy were all famous throughout the world. However, because of his youth, he also received attention.
It was only after arriving in the capital that Li Qian saw the prosperity of the Great Zhou capital, which was even better than that of Bu County, especially the majestic palace complex. On the streets, one could see officials and even princes of the Great Zhou traveling. Here, ordinary Dan realm practitioners could be seen everywhere, and practitioners above the Changsheng realm were not difficult to meet either.
Not to mention the Zhuangyuan Street where they live now. As far as the eye can see, it is full of scholars. At night, one can even see streams of righteousness rising into the sky, like the energy of a bull.
They either graduated from the five major universities or academies, or were disciples of famous scholars and sages.
Perhaps they were originally from poor families or even farming families, but they were able to come to Yangjing step by step. Once they showed their talents, they would definitely be noticed by the academy and trained intensively. So as soon as Li Qian reported his name and background, all the candidates on the street could be regarded as his fellow students.
However, they were only brothers in name only. On the surface, they were in harmony with each other, but secretly they kept to their own groups and hardly interacted with each other. The boundaries between them were clear.
Many of the disputes and grudges among the five major academies in the world have been passed down from thousands of years ago. Although Shangxian Academy is in charge of the preaching jade slips and is the leader of the academies, the other four major academies in the world do not completely obey the orders of Shangxian Academy. They have even openly turned against each other many times because of disputes over morality and etiquette.
Only when a sacred decree is passed down from the Xundu Academy in the upper realm will they unite as one.
From time to time in the distance, the sound of a natural outflow of righteous energy could be heard. It was the result of one's own harmony with the teachings of the sages and the understanding of the saints after having read through the chapters of the saints. Li Qian had no idea that when he wrote, his pen moved like a dragon, and his righteous energy seemed to pull the stars in the sky, overshadowing everyone else.
It also attracted the attention of Yuan Cheng, the Minister of Rites, and many officials of the Ministry of Rites talked about it.
After several days of examinations, as the bell rang, Li Qian walked out of the Ministry of Rites with many other scholars and received the attention of Yuan Cheng.
However, before Li Qian returned to Zhuangyuan Street, he saw a star shining brightly in the sky in the evening before the sun set. Although Li Qian did not see it, he raised his head and looked up at the sky as if his destiny was guiding him.
A senior fellow from the Shangxian Academy beside Li Qian looked towards the direction of the imperial city with a burning gaze: "The Dragon Pillar is in turmoil! The world will surely be in chaos!"
"We are coming to Yangjing to participate in the Jinshi exam this time. Whether it is a blessing or a curse is still unknown!"
Afterwards, within Yangjing, powerful practitioners and sages suddenly burst out with their aura. The terrifying and dull power covered the entire Yangjing, making people feel as if a catastrophe was about to befall.
In the attic of the Imperial Observatory, Li Tianxing, the director of the Observatory, seemed to have anticipated this moment long ago: "The Greedy Wolf has appeared! The world is in chaos!"
"It's finally here!"
Li Tianxing looked at the star chart he had drawn behind him, with a puzzled look on his face: "Why did you come so early?"
Inside the Yangjing City God Temple, a deity wearing a bright red robe looked at the violently shaking Dragon Pillar of Luck. The golden luck that originally covered it was constantly declining, and the golden dragon wrapped around it roared angrily: "The Dragon Pillar of Luck has been reduced by 30%. Is the appearance of the Greedy Wolf Star so terrifying?"
The three dukes and nine ministers rushed to the palace and requested to see His Majesty the Emperor. The dragon energy weakened by 30%, which meant that the power of the Great Zhou inexplicably weakened by almost one third while no one was confused.
The Dragon Pillar of Fortune is a symbol of the Great Zhou's strength. Whether it is overt or covert, the dragon energy will weaken only when there is a reduction in strength or a major problem occurs somewhere.
Everyone was in a state of panic, especially because they didn't know where the problem came from. The ministers crowded outside the palace gate, and everyone was talking about it and in a state of panic.
Not long after, a eunuch came out of the palace. The emperor only summoned a few of the three dukes and nine ministers and the director of the Imperial Observatory, and the others retreated and left one after another.
Compared to the ministers outside the palace who were seeking an audience, Emperor Kong Yan seemed even more impatient and uneasy at this moment. Seeing the ministers kneeling in the imperial study, he asked, "Li Tianxing! Didn't you say that the killing calamity will not begin until the reincarnations of these star gods are fully grown? It shouldn't be that time yet, why has the Tan Lang star appeared now?"
"30% luck! The Great Zhou Dragon Pillar has lost 30% of its luck. What will happen if it loses more?"
"Will the tragedy of Da Pan be repeated in Shenjing? Monsters are rampant and ghosts are parading in the streets?"
Seeing this scene, everyone couldn't help but think of the scene at the end of the Da Pan Dynasty. At that time, the Da Pan Dynasty was also at its heyday. Once the luck of the dragon pillar collapsed, thousands of ghosts and monsters rushed into the capital. The Da Pan Dynasty collapsed and dispersed overnight, and the world was in chaos.
Li Tianxing could only cup his hands and say, "I am investigating what went wrong. I think there should be a result soon."
"However, the Dragon Pillar of Luck has collapsed by 30%. The problem must not be elsewhere, but within us, especially the four armies of Shendu, Shenwu, Yulong, and Zhenwu. They are the foundation of the country."
"Except for problems with these four armies, I can't think of any other reason that could cause the Dragon Pillar of Luck to collapse so quickly."
It would have been better if Li Tianxing had not said it. This remark immediately made the emperor and the ministers in the hall look shocked. Once problems occurred with these four armies, it would be a disaster for the Great Zhou. Without the four armies of Shendu, Shenwu, Yulong and Zhenwu, how could the Great Zhou have the power to suppress the heroes of the world.
Sure enough, news came from the border the next day, and it was news that shocked the world.
The Shendu Army abandoned Tianyang Pass. The Marquis of Wuwei, who commanded the Shendu Army, changed his flag and raised the banner of rebellion. He led an army of 100,000 to suddenly attack Chen County. The army besieged the city. Chen County urgently sent a message of military intelligence from the border and asked the court for help.
With the Tianyang Pass wide open, the Rong royal court, which had been eyeing the Middle-earth covetously, took advantage of the situation and marched southward. Eighty thousand cavalrymen passed through the ancient Baizhou and lost important border towns such as Chengtian City and Baili City, causing an uproar in the court.
Li Qian had been staying in the capital, waiting for the day when the results would be announced. During these few days, he could see rumors spreading throughout Yangjing. Some people said that Marquis Wuwei had raised the banner of rebellion and had expelled the Great Zhou. Within a few days, he had taken over the five counties of ancient Panzhou and established his own regime in the north.
The cavalry of the Darong royal court is already on the bank of a river. They can cross the river at any time to invade the heartland of the Great Zhou and even threaten the capital.
This means that in less than ten days, almost all of the eight or nine counties in the Zhou territory north of the river were lost.
The Great Zhou Dynasty hastily dispatched the Shenwu Army to Kunyang City, with its back against Xiangshan Mountain and the help of the river to block the iron cavalry of the Great Rong royal court from moving south. The two sides faced each other across the surging river. Thousands of Rong people actually rode on the strange beast Gu Diao to fly across the river. The horrifying sound of the Gu Diao could be heard even at the sky covering the sun. On the other side of the river, one could also see the Rong people's witches lighting bonfires, killing hundreds of living people as sacrifices, and casting curses and plagues in an attempt to curse the people in the city.
Within the Shenwu Army, a martial arts immortal took action. A giant palm fell from the sky and landed directly on the opposite side, killing the witch priest who cast the curse. One hundred thousand warriors roared, and the bloody energy on the top of the city gathered into a mountain, falling from the sky and crushing the flying army of Gu Diao that was circling in the sky into pieces.
A witch god who had survived the three disasters in the Rong people's royal court attacked in anger. A terrifying thousand-meter-long skeleton giant appeared on the opposite bank, crossed the river in one step, and stomped towards Kunyang city. The martial arts immortal also revealed his immortal form and fought with him until dawn. Both sides stopped fighting and there was no more movement across the river.
The Marquis of Wuwei, who had raised the banner of rebellion, took advantage of this period of time to gradually annex the land of Gupan, and seemed to be in a situation where he could once again establish a country like the Gupan Kingdom, relying on the natural barriers to establish his own territory.
The imperial court wanted to send the Yulong and Zhenwu armies to quell the rebellion led by Marquis Wuwei, but there were constant objections. Once the two armies were dispatched, the barbarians in the south would probably take advantage of the situation and invade. Moreover, without people guarding the south, there would be no deterrent power. Since ancient times, the south has been a place where many sects and aristocratic families have been standing, so changes might happen.
The Minister of War wrote a letter to the court advising the establishment of a new army, but some people said that the four powerful martial arts armies in the world were all the foundation accumulated bit by bit by the Great Zhou over hundreds of years, and each warrior was trained with a huge amount of resources and effort. How could a new army possibly be a match for the dignified Marquis Wuwei and the Shendu Army, the strongest army in the world.
But in the end the emperor agreed to the advice of the Minister of War to build a new army. Now the world needs a new and powerful martial arts army to support the situation. Especially as an emperor, he needs new forces to break the deadlock.
Late at night, the two stars Wenqu and Wenchang in the sky suddenly shone brightly. Li Qian, who was sleeping, dreamed of a golden document falling into his arms and suddenly woke up.
The same was true for another young man from the Palace of Morals. He seemed to feel a powerful force surging into him, as if he could draw on the power of the stars in the sky with just a move of his hands. He even sensed various powers about the stars and fate.
After Li Qian woke up, he found that he was actually holding a golden document in his hand, with several ancient divine patterns faintly visible on it.
At this time, Li Qian heard a lot of noise outside the door, and many scholars shouted: "The results are out! The results are out!"
Li Qian hurried over and found that he was at the top of the list and was the top scholar.
At this time, a person ranked second in the crowd looked at Li Qian. Li Qian felt something and nodded to him. Although the person ranked below Li Qian, he still saluted gracefully: "Congratulations, Brother Li, for being the top scorer! I am Zhou Wenlong!"
Li Qian quickly responded: "So it's Brother Zhou from Teng County. Brother Zhou's poems are the best in the world, especially his poem worth a thousand gold coins, which is famous all over the world. I have also heard of Brother Zhou's reputation in Bu County."
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Inside the Palace of Sages of Shangxian Academy, Feng Sheng was facing the statues of five saints. A halo could be seen opening in it, revealing the real Palace of Sages of Xundu Academy in the upper realm. The four saints were standing together at this moment, saluting towards Feng Sheng.
Zhuang Sheng was the first to speak: "Master, we have found the locations of Wenqu and Wenchang, but the Cave Star Palace has not been opened, so we are not allowed to enter. The areas of these two main stars are vast, not even much smaller than Dongzhou. Once they are opened, our academy will no longer be restricted to the human world."
Tang Sheng nodded and said, "But just now, I found that Wenqu and Wenchang suddenly pulled the star power down to the mortal world. I guess Wenchang and Wenqu have already appeared in the world to accept the star's destiny."
Feng Shengren nodded and said, "The four star gods who are related to literary fortune must be returned to the academy. This is also the purpose of my coming to the lower world this time. You should also make preparations in advance in the upper world and lay out everything in advance. The fairy world will be opened soon, so don't be in a hurry when the time comes."
Master Gong Yangli stood respectfully behind Sage Feng without even daring to raise his head. In his entire life, he had never seen the five saints gathered together. His hand holding the jade slip of preaching could not help but sweat slightly.
When Saint Feng turned around, Gong Yangli stepped forward and said, "Saint Feng, Li Qian and Zhou Wenlong have both passed the imperial examination and received their astrological destiny."
"The stars have shown that the whole world knows that these two are the reincarnations of the stars. Should we call them back?"
Feng Sheng shook his head: "No, why call these two back? They are already members of the academy and are related to the academy's destiny. It is not appropriate to interfere too much."
"Besides, the fate of these two people is Wenqu and Wenchang, not Sha Po Lang and Tiangang Disha. After the star destiny is opened, they should enter the court to serve as officials and follow the trend."
"Whether the Great Zhou Dynasty dies or not, it has nothing to do with these two. When they become famous throughout the world, the position of Star Lord will belong to them, and my academy will have two more Star Lords."
Master Gong Yangli was still worried: "What if something unexpected happens to these two in Yangjing?"
Feng Sheng smiled and said, "The Great Zhou is experiencing a great change in the north at this moment. The joining of the two people with the fate of the Star Gods is like a godsend for the Great Zhou. The Emperor of the Great Zhou and the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers must do their utmost to protect them."
"And it's a little late to seize the fate of these two people. If you want to seize the fate of Wenchang Star, you should defeat the person with Wenchang Star in the Jinshi exam and take first place. If you want to seize the fate of Wenqu Star, you should defeat Wenqu Star in terms of the fame of poetry and prose."
"At this time, both of them have achieved success and fame. Even ordinary cultivators in the Tribulation Crossing Stage may not be able to kill them. When they wear official robes and their star fortunes are further enhanced, and the dragon energy of the Great Zhou protects them and we watch over them, who can still snatch the Wenchang and Wenqu star fortunes from the academy?"
Feng Sheng looked into the distance: "At this time, we should pay attention to the north. That person took half of the fate of Tan Lang and directly disrupted the world. It is really a good method."
"Sure enough, none of these old friends are easy to deal with!"
Master Gong Yangli nodded repeatedly, but he thought Feng Sheng was talking about the Marquis of Wuwei, but he didn't know that Feng Sheng was talking about Che Yan, the King of Yama.