Chapter 37: A Legendary Mortal-Level Cultivation Technique, A Top Scholar Achieved in the Imperial Examinations.
"Mr. Xu Ning truly did not disappoint me!" Xia Yun's tone was filled with deep admiration as he gazed towards the distant capital.
Xia Li asked softly, "Brother, will such an extraordinary person truly be willing to serve you in the future? He doesn't seem like someone who easily bends to others."
Xia Yun shook his head slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I have no idea. I can't really see through him, nor do I know what he truly seeks in life."
To control someone, one must know what they want—their ambitions, their desires, their weaknesses. Xu Ning revealed none of these.
Xia Li looked up into the distance, her eyes taking on a dreamy, distant look. "Perhaps... what he wants is peace for the world. Not power, not wealth, but simply to see the world at peace."
Xia Yun was taken aback upon hearing this. He had never considered such a lofty, selfless motivation. After a moment of deep thought, he suddenly gritted his teeth, as if he had made up his mind about something.
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Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
The palace examination officially began on a crisp autumn morning.
Xu Ning, who had barely left his inn room in the past three months, finally packed his belongings today and left to head to the imperial palace to participate in the final examination.
For this palace examination, Emperor Xuan, who had been bedridden and ailing for a long time, forced himself to get up and preside over the proceedings.
The group of candidates arrived at the great hall and immediately saw Emperor Xuan sitting solemnly on the dragon throne above them.
At this moment, although Emperor Xuan's face was pale and drawn, he still exuded an aura of unquestionable authority. His presence filled the hall.
The candidates dared not be negligent. They immediately knelt and bowed in unison, their voices echoing through the hall. "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"
"Rise... cough cough!" Emperor Xuan only managed to say this one word before immediately breaking into a fit of coughing.
A eunuch beside him quickly stepped forward and respectfully handed over a yellow silk handkerchief.
Emperor Xuan took it, covered his mouth, and coughed a few more times before finally stopping, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Then, the eunuch began distributing the examination papers. On each paper, Emperor Xuan's own question was already written in bold characters.
Xu Ning opened his exam paper and immediately revealed a look of "I knew it." He had anticipated this.
The question was just two simple words: Succession.
This question was actually expected by all the candidates, including Xu Ning. It was the elephant in the room.
Succession simply meant the passing of the throne, the most critical issue facing the kingdom.
But knowing the question was one thing; answering it safely was another entirely.
This was actually a very dangerous question because it easily involved sensitive royal affairs. One wrong move, one poorly chosen word, could cost a candidate his head!
After all, Emperor Xuan was currently at his most suspicious, clinging to life and worried about his legacy. If he discovered any hint of disloyalty or scheming in an answer, he would immediately eliminate that candidate.
In the end, after much careful thought, Xu Ning chose a safe path. He casually wrote a philosophical story about an ancient king choosing his successor.
However, the core of the entire story revolved around one central, unassailable theory: the current emperor has the final, unquestionable say in who inherits the throne. It was a message of absolute loyalty.
After the time was up, Xu Ning obediently handed in his paper along with the others.
As for the final result, Xu Ning felt it was best to leave it to fate. After all, reaching this point was already more than enough. He was already a double champion.
Returning to his hometown with the double champion Jinshi score would be more than enough to report back to his teacher and make him proud.
Next, he simply had to wait for the results to be announced.
While waiting, Meng Yangming and Meng Lingzhu finally came to visit him at the inn.
They hadn't come before because they were worried Xu Ning was busy studying for the palace examination and didn't want to disturb him.
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Now that the exam was over and there were no more worries, they felt free to visit.
"Young friend, come, have a couple of drinks and relax your mind!" Meng Yangming invited with a warm smile.
Xu Ning naturally accepted, and they went together to a famous, bustling restaurant in the capital city.
"Young friend, are you confident about this palace examination?" Meng Yangming asked after taking a sip of wine.
Xu Ning shook his head honestly. "No, I have no idea how I performed. The question was... delicate."
Meng Yangming asked, "If it doesn't work out, will you be disappointed, young friend? After all your efforts?"
Xu Ning shook his head again. "I won't be disappointed! After all, the result I've already achieved is quite satisfactory. Everything else is just a bonus."
Meng Yangming was also a little confused at this point. He couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him. "Young friend, what exactly are you pursuing in life? What is your goal?"
To be honest, Meng Yangming had always been a little unable to see through Xu Ning. The young man always gave him a feeling of unfathomable depth, as if he was playing a different game than everyone else.
Meng Lingzhu, who was sitting next to him, was also quite curious about this question. She couldn't help but look at Xu Ning with undisguised expectation in her eyes.
Xu Ning considered the question for a moment, then replied thoughtfully. "What I seek is a clear mind, free of regrets. I want to do what I want to do while I'm still young and able. As for the final result, I don't really care about it. The journey is the reward."
Meng Yangming was taken aback after hearing this. He nodded slowly, a new respect in his eyes. "Young friend, you are truly carefree. Most people are slaves to their ambitions, but you seem free of them."
They chatted about some other things afterward, the conversation flowing easily.
What puzzled Xu Ning, however, was that this old man kept intentionally or unintentionally steering the conversation towards Xu Ning's marital status and personal life.
Finally, growing tired of the hints, Xu Ning directly stated, "Senior, I already have a virtuous wife waiting for me at home. Please don't ask about such matters anymore. It's not appropriate."
These words made Meng Yangming's eyes widen in surprise. He hadn't expected that answer.
Meng Lingzhu's expression instantly changed from hopeful expectation to clear, sharp disappointment. She looked away, her heart sinking.
Finally, sensing the awkward atmosphere, Meng Yangming gave Xu Ning three more secret manuals he had collected and then quickly left with Meng Lingzhu, making their excuses.
Xu Ning returned to the inn with the new manuals and eagerly began studying them, pushing the awkward encounter from his mind.
Two days later, Xu Ning had thoroughly studied and absorbed all three manuals.
Suddenly, as he was meditating on the insights, Xu Ning felt his mind become incredibly clear, as if a fog had lifted. His body simultaneously emitted a series of muffled, internal thuds.
In that instant of clarity, Xu Ning's understanding of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and the Snow Shadow Step simultaneously reached the legendary level of the mortal realm. They transcended their previous limits.
Due to the upgrade of his techniques' theoretical level, Xu Ning instantly gained many profound insights. His practical cultivation of all three techniques simultaneously broke through to the seventh level.
Now, he was considered to be at the middle level among those in the Innate Realm, a significant leap forward.
After a long while of internal adjustment, Xu Ning suddenly opened his eyes. His face was filled with pleasant surprise.
The upgrade of his two techniques from the upper-grade mortal realm to the legendary mortal realm was a tremendous improvement for him. It wasn't just about power; it was about understanding the very essence of martial arts.
After all, the legendary mortal realm was already a legendary achievement in the martial arts world. Its profundity was the stuff of legends.
Using legendary-level martial arts understanding to guide his daily cultivation was naturally much faster and more efficient than before.
For the next day, Xu Ning focused entirely on consolidating his new realm and understanding, not venturing out.
The next morning, the sound of gongs and drums could be heard again outside his inn, loud and celebratory.
Xu Ning abruptly stood up from his meditation and went to the window to look out.
Today was the day the results of the palace examination were announced. The noise and commotion outside meant that the results being announced were at least for the top three candidates.
Xu Ning hadn't initially thought they were coming for him. He assumed the top three would be announced at their own residences.
But when the grand procession stopped directly in front of the inn where he was staying, and the officials knocked on his specific door, Xu Ning belatedly realized that they seemed to be here for him.
Sure enough, after opening the door, two senior eunuchs entered and began to read the imperial edict aloud in formal, booming voices.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: In the 301st year of the Great Xuan calendar, the talented scholar Xu Ning of Guangshan County has achieved the highest rank in the palace examination, becoming the Top Scholar (Zhuangyuan). This decree is hereby issued to the whole kingdom to celebrate. He will enter the palace tomorrow to meet the Emperor and receive his appointment. This is the imperial decree."
Xu Ning was stunned speechless. The Top Scholar? Damn, he was now the Top Scholar! This was too high-profile, too public.
After all, Xu Ning was now a triple top scholar—Jieyuan in the county exam, Huiyuan in the metropolitan exam, and now Zhuangyuan in the palace exam. He was the first triple top scholar since the founding of the Great Xuan dynasty!
And even before the Great Xuan, throughout history, there had been very, very few triple top scholars. It was an almost mythical achievement.
Seeing Xu Ning's stunned, frozen expression, the eunuch reading the imperial edict couldn't help but chuckle and gently prompt him. "Top Scholar, hurry up and accept the decree! It is a great honor."
Startled by the words back to reality, Xu Ning immediately knelt down properly, his voice a little shaky with surprise. "This candidate... accepts the decree! Long live the Emperor!"
After receiving the precious edict with both hands, Xu Ning quickly took out some loose silver from his pouch and distributed it generously to the messengers and attendants.
"Congratulations on achieving the top rank in all three levels of the imperial examination, Top Scholar Xu! An unprecedented achievement!" The eunuch, upon receiving Xu Ning's silver, hurriedly congratulated him with a wide, genuine smile.
"Congratulations, Top Scholar Xu!"
"Top Scholar Xu achieving the top rank in all three levels of the imperial examination is unprecedented and unparalleled! Truly a great talent of the age!"
Those who received silver afterward all offered their enthusiastic congratulations, bowing and smiling.
After finally seeing everyone off and closing the door, Xu Ning couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as he looked at his now much lighter purse. He had just given away more than ten taels of silver—how could he not feel the pain? But it was expected.
After closing the door, Xu Ning couldn't help but pick up the imperial edict and examine it again and again, his eyes filled with joy and genuine excitement!
Although he had said he didn't care about the outcome, now that he had actually passed and achieved the highest honor, Xu Ning was truly overjoyed. It was a validation he hadn't expected.
After all... it was an incredible feeling.