Chapter 750: Preliminary Exam Ends, Is There Still Some Resemblance to the Past? (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 750: The Preliminary Exam Ends—How Much of the Past Remains? (Requesting Moon Tickets)

The day of the preliminary exam.

Inside the tranquil chamber of the Research Society.

Amidst swirling torrents of primal scholarly energy, five figures emerged faintly from the haze—Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Yu Xinghan, Le Mulan, and Kuang Tianqing.

At this very moment, with the inner demon of academic obsession fully unleashed, a terrifying surge of scholarly aura erupted from their bodies, as if determined to devour every scrap of knowledge in the world and conquer every examination imaginable.

Their eyes blazed with an overwhelming will so potent it seemed almost tangible.

Test! Test! Test! Test! TEST!

Driven by this frenzied ambition, what question could possibly stand in their way? What obstacle could hinder them now? Today, their scores would soar without restraint!

Bai Zhenzhen turned to Zhang Yu and said, “Zhang Yu, last time you solved two more major problems than I did. Now that the real preliminary exam has come, let us settle once and for all who is truly the strongest in our cram school.”

Zhang Yu looked at her coldly and sneered, “Cram school? Are you satisfied merely being number one among cram students? My goal is to become the top scorer across all ten levels—from Level 1 to Level 10—in this preliminary exam.”

He fixed his gaze on Bai Zhenzhen, thinking inwardly, “This woman… once the Exam Sect trials are over, I’ll devour her spiritual roots, her primordial yin essence, everything she possesses—I’ll consume it all as nourishment for my path to immortality.”

“Zhang Yu,” Bai Zhenzhen thought, her cheeks flushing crimson as her Extreme Emotion cultivation surged through her veins, “you must be plotting how to devour me right now, aren’t you?” The thrill of it sent shivers down her spine.

“And yet… isn’t that exactly what I desire as well?”

“I’ll pin you beneath me, make you my slave of Extreme Emotion, and use you daily to refine my sword Dao!”

Nearby, Yu Xinghan watched silently, musing to himself, “Hmph. Their clash over the Path of Extreme Emotion Sword is inevitable. When they tear each other apart, I shall reap the spoils like a fisherman watching dueling cranes. I’ll seize control of the Evil God directly—and through him, manipulate these two prodigies, turning them into my most diligent employees, forcing them to work endless overtime to propel me toward the peak of immortality.”

“Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen, Yu Xinghan…” Le Mulan smiled inwardly from afar. “Study, test, fight, scramble—all of you. I’ll stay hidden in the shadows, waiting patiently for my chance. One day, I’ll claim Zhang Yu as my exclusive resource—and sell off every last bit of him myself.”

“A bunch of country bumpkins,” Kuang Tianqing scoffed inwardly as he observed the four schemers. “I am the true heir of the sect!”

When Zhang Yu and the others stepped out together before the examination hall, the gathered students outside became even less worthy of their notice.

To them, these so-called elite geniuses from various academies were nothing but academic failures—useless, brittle husks destined to be crushed utterly beneath the weight of their soaring scores.

Even Starfire True Lord’s expression shifted repeatedly upon seeing Zhang Yu and his companions appear.

“Sigh…”

During recent tutoring sessions, Starfire True Lord had gradually sensed the profound changes within them—especially during mock exams, when the sensation grew unbearably intense.

“They’ve probably absorbed massive amounts of Exam Sect memories,” he murmured.

He’d tried warning Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan not to overload themselves with such memories—but judging by their ever-climbing grades, his advice had clearly fallen on deaf ears.

“But I can’t blame them.”

“I myself only gained a fighting chance to pass thanks to my sect background and years of accumulated foundation after studying like a madman.”

“For Zhang Yu and the others, conventional methods simply won’t suffice if they hope to enter the sect.”

“Yet… I wonder how much of their former selves still remain.”

Meanwhile, Wang Yin paced anxiously elsewhere, desperate for the exam to begin.

All he wanted was to finish quickly, escape the lower realms immediately, and join the sect without delay. Every second spent here felt unbearable.

“How can roads be paved with cement? Without blood-and-flesh pathways, how can anyone live in such a backward place?”

To Wang Yin, everything about the lower realms grated on his nerves—even the air lacked the sweet fragrance of the sect, making his whole body ache with discomfort.

Just then, a cry rang out—a student collapsed onto the ground.

Staff rushed over, examined him briefly, and sighed in relief. “Nothing serious—it’s just that his lifespan is nearly exhausted.”

The examinee pleaded urgently, “Teacher, do I still have enough life left to take the exam?”

After calculating, the staff replied, “Yes—you should last another two or three months. Would you prefer to complete the exam first before receiving emergency treatment?”

“Still alive that long? That’s good, that’s very good!” The student nodded repeatedly. “Today—no matter how vast heaven and earth may be—the Exam Sect reigns supreme! Everything must yield to the exam. As long as I get into the sect, their advanced immortal arts will surely extend my life.”

Watching from a distance, Tian Shenggong sighed inwardly, “Thank heavens I didn’t burn away so much of my lifespan.”

Glancing at Zhang Yu and the others, a flicker of gratitude crossed his eyes.

He too had once resolved to gamble everything on this exam—but certain news changed his mind.

As more than ten students in the cram class saw their mock exam scores skyrocket, Starfire True Lord shared encouraging tidings:

“If, aside from those trained directly by the sect in Levels 7–10, five additional students from Levels 1–10 manage to pass this Exam Sect trial,” Tian Shenggong recalled silently, “then the Sect Affairs Officer selection exam will become a regular event in the lower realms.”

“Five people—that’s all it takes. Once the exam becomes routine, I’ll have plenty of future chances to prepare properly… no need to rush and burn my lifespan now.”

Clearly, entering the sect while retaining more of one’s natural lifespan promised far greater prospects on the immortal path.

Thus, Tian Shenggong ceased burning his vitality and instead began supporting Zhang Yu and the others, hoping they’d all succeed this time.

Wen Wuya also watched Zhang Yu’s group in silence, whispering inwardly, “Go on, Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen—you must pass!”

Like Tian Shenggong, Wen Wuya pinned his hopes squarely on them.

“Go ahead, Zhang Yu, Zhenzhen—shatter every question, punch a hole clean through the heavens of these ten layers!”

He made a firm vow: “If you succeed, I’ll extend my full-time exam prep by another year! No Exam Sect—better death than failure!”

Tu Lishan regarded Zhang Yu’s group with complicated eyes. Perhaps due to his age and richer memories, the revulsion and disgust stirred by absorbing Exam Sect memories struck him especially hard.

This slowed his absorption and lessened its influence, granting him room to halt the process altogether.

“Zhang Yu warned us earlier to hold back—he must have foreseen this outcome.”

Watching their retreating backs vanish into the exam hall, Tu Lishan sighed inwardly, “Are these kids really willing to stake everything—to smash open the gates leading to the sect?”

He knew—if the Exam Sect trials became normalized in the lower realms, the doors flung open wouldn’t belong merely to a few individuals, but to countless cultivators across all ten layers.

Yet the price…

Ying Mingchi of Heavenly Demon University sighed inwardly, “Zhang Yu and the others—they’ll have their wills utterly twisted, stripped forever of who they once were.”

“Zhang Yu, my fellow demonkin brother… was your warning against rushing into the orthodox methods provided by the True Gods meant as a sacrifice? Did you intend to throw yourself against this gate alone, just to break it open for everyone else?”

Beyond Tu Lishan and Ying Mingchi, many others had received Zhang Yu’s earlier warnings not to resort to extreme measures for this Exam Sect trial.

Some chose to believe him; others, like Wang Yin, stubbornly pressed forward regardless.

“Hmph,” Wang Yin muttered, “Zhang Yu’s trying to trick me into abandoning the sect exam—probably wants fewer competitors so his own odds improve.”

“I won’t fall for it.”

“This exam—I *will* pass!”

Meanwhile, messages flickered within Zhang Yu’s ocular implants:

Night Starlight: Go for it, Senior Brother!

North Wu Feng: Take care, True Lord.

Mo Entropy Ashes: Thank you, True Lord.

Lian Tianji: True Lord, I believe you’ll surely pass.

Over recent days, while preparing for the Exam Sect trials, Lian Tianji had watched helplessly as student after student—guided by the new headmaster—underwent strange transformations, willingly working for free, even offering up everything they had.

Yet Lian Tianji still couldn’t suppress her yearning for the Sect Examination, eager to receive guidance from the headmaster.

Only after Zhang Yu’s persuasion did she abandon the idea of seeking the headmaster’s tutelage, choosing instead to trust Zhang Yu—deciding not to rush, but to steadily grind through daily practice problems and prepare thoroughly for the future Sect Examination.

As message after message scrolled before his eyes, Zhang Yu now wore an expression of utter disdain, too lazy even to reply.

“A bunch of academic failures, penniless wretches.”

He flipped through each person’s chat history and saw the spirit coins they’d transferred over this past period:

Ye Xingli: 300 spirit coins

Bei Wufeng: 200 spirit coins

Mo Shangjin: 120 spirit coins

Shi Huaiyu: 50 spirit coins

Ying Xin: 20 spirit coins

Gazing at these transaction records, Zhang Yu finally smiled with satisfaction. “A pack of fools—swayed by just a few words from me, they not only gave up the Sect Examination themselves but even sent money to support my attempt.”

“Indeed, I am destined to join a sect and ruthlessly exploit all you paupers.”

He added anyone who’d sent less than 10 spirit coins to his “Do Not Disturb—Broke Losers” group, then strode proudly into the examination hall.

The first test of the preliminary round—whether for the Nascent Soul or Golden Core division—was always an assessment of each candidate’s cultivation level.

From foundational stats to Nascent Soul performance, and mastery over various techniques and abilities, it measured a cultivator’s comprehensive strength on the Immortal Path.

After three months of cultivation, Zhang Yu’s Dao Heart had reached Level 40 (100%), while his physical strength had broken through to the maximum of Level 40.00.

His spiritual power stood at 85,983 units, drawing ever closer to the Nascent Soul peak of 100,000.

Yet Zhang Yu knew that personal cultivation counted for little in the preliminary scoring; even an outstanding performance here would yield only modest gains.

The true crux of this stage lay in the upcoming Sect Morality Test and Sect Administrative Aptitude Assessment.

As his consciousness crossed into the Spirit Realm illusion, Zhang Yu knew the real examination had begun.

…

Because this Sect Examination drew an unusually large number of candidates, featured heavy content, and required complex illusion operations, Deng Bingding—a newly promoted Fifth-Rank True God—had been assigned as an invigilator.

While numerous True Gods carried out their duties, Deng Bingding sensed waves of higher-tier consciousnesses descending across realms, alighting upon the Spirit Realm’s first ten layers.

He understood: these were the sects’ own consciousnesses—the examiners tasked with scoring each candidate within the illusions.

Lu Xuanzhi was the examiner dispatched this time by the Myriad Arts Sect.

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have bothered with such matters.

How could a proper Sect Examination possibly be held in Layers 1–10? In his eyes, candidates from those layers weren’t even worthy of being called human—what right did they have to sit for a sect exam?

Yet under orders from both the Heavenly Court and his sect, Lu Xuanzhi, however reluctant, had no choice but to accept the assignment and grade these beings he deemed scarcely human.

Countless illusion scenes unfolded before his eyes. His mind raced, swiftly judging and scoring one candidate after another.

“Hmph? Hesitating over paid overtime for the sake of the sect? Without even this much resolve, how can you attain the Great Dao or serve your sect? Zero points.”

Elsewhere, an examiner from the Nether Palace glanced at Wang Yin within his illusion.

Wang Yin was undergoing interrogation: so long as he refused to yield, Zhang Yu in the illusion would keep receiving money transfers, promotions, and even post-initiation advancement within the sect.

Watching Wang Yin’s bloodshot eyes and clenched teeth as he endured, the examiner gave a slight nod. “Decent stress tolerance. In our sect, prodigies fall like rain—if you can’t withstand even this minor pressure, you’re useless.”

In the eyes of the Heaven Demon Sect examiner, Kuang Tianqing faced the Sect Morality Test within his illusion.

Amidst chaos, everyone rushed forward—but Kuang Tianqing stepped ahead, roaring, “All of you, halt!”

“What are you scrambling for? I don’t trust these whelps with something this important.”

“Those who scored above 600 on the Sect Exam, step forward!”

“Follow me to evacuate. The rest of you hold the rear!”

“In crisis, only scores matter.”

The examiner nodded faintly. “So there are still righteous men down below?”

For the Sword Heaven Sect examiner, Bai Zhenzhen received her payslip—and ignored it. She received a bonus transfer—and still ignored it.

Her body surged with Extreme Emotion Sword Qi as she declared loudly, “The true object of my Extreme Emotion Sword Dao is the Sword Heaven Sect! I love only the Sword Heaven Sect!”

“It is my love for the sect that makes me infinitely strong!”

“As long as I remain within the sect, I’ll have boundless spiritual power and endless drive—I’ll work until I die!”

“Payslips? Bonuses? I never look at them.”

The examiner smiled in approval. “I never imagined someone in the lower realms would grasp the true essence of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao on her own.”

“My path to sword immortality transcends petty romantic attachments.”

“Only loving one’s sect and lineage constitutes true great love.”

…

Lu Xuanzhi’s gaze swept over the candidates applying to the Myriad Arts Sect.

Suddenly, his eyes paused—he saw Yu Xinghan.

Within the illusion, Yu Xinghan had unhesitatingly given up a salary raise just to move his desk closer to his superior’s office.

“As long as I’m a bit nearer to the boss’s office, that’s enough.”

“Even if I do nothing all day but watch how he runs meetings, what he says and does—I can feel my cultivation advancing.”

Lu Xuanzhi was surprised. “These vermin of the lower realms—each heart clouded by desire, obsessed only with money, utterly devoid of any immortal grace. Yet amid this mire, someone actually overcame even a sliver of greed for wealth.”

He nodded, then was drawn moments later to Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu sat behind his desk, addressing his employees: “When I raise your salary, it’s not just about you and me, or even our factory or department—it concerns the entire realm’s stability. We must consider whether other enterprises can bear the burden.”

“If my selfishness ruins the business environment by raising your pay, I’d be a sinner for ten thousand generations.”

Lu Xuanzhi grew increasingly astonished. “Another one?”

“To withhold a raise not out of personal stinginess, but from genuine concern for the greater good—this man already shows traces of Dao-nature. He’s beginning to resemble a real person.”

In the subsequent tests, Zhang Yu’s performance astonished Lu Xuanzhi even further.

“Exceptional moral character, outstanding administrative aptitude.”

“Especially in the final open-ended questions—his ideas are wildly imaginative…”

Lu Xuanzhi’s eyes gleamed as he watched Zhang Yu solve a department’s funding shortfall within the illusion.

“Since Zhu Yiyi exists, why not borrow?”

The next illusion presented a current-affairs-themed question: how to raise funds to mend the heavens amid cosmic collapse.

Here, Zhang Yu’s response dazzled Lu Xuanzhi most of all.

“Atop the peak of debt, I lend to the world—so long as I, Zhu Yiyi, exist, I am heaven itself!”

At that moment, even Lu Xuanzhi felt a flicker of greed stir in his heart. “This man is a master at acquiring wealth.”

Staring at Zhang Yu’s blurred figure in the vision, Lu Xuanzhi grew even more curious about his identity.

Alas—as an examiner, all identity-related information was automatically censored during scoring. Names like “Zhu Yiyi” were replaced by static bleeps, leaving him unable to discern anything about the candidate’s true self.

Lu Xuanzhi thought, "Could this brat be the rotation examinee arranged by the sect? One of those candidates who reincarnated into the lower realm?"

The more he pondered, the more convinced he became of his own conjecture, and without the slightest hesitation, he awarded Zhang Yu a high score.

...

With the conclusion of the examination, candidates emerged from the testing grounds one after another.

However, the countenances of most examinees were rather unsightly; their minds incessantly replayed the questions they had just encountered, as well as their own performances and reactions, leading them to sigh inwardly.

"Alas, I seem to have blundered."

"Too slow, my reaction was far too slow, and I completed too few questions."

"Is this the Sect Examination? The difficulty is simply staggering."

Tian Shenggong, though no longer burning his lifespan and believing himself highly likely to fail this attempt at the Sect Examination, had nonetheless participated in the preliminary test to accumulate experience.

Recalling the questions of the day after the test, he sighed secretly in his heart, "It was far more difficult than the mock exams. The time spent deliberating on each question vastly exceeded my usual pace. Did the sect intentionally elevate the difficulty of the examination?"

Yet, amid the multitude of frustrated candidates, a select few appeared high-spirited and brimming with arrogance.

"Far too simple," Zhang Yu thought to himself. "This preliminary test should present no major issue."

Just then, Jin Jun walked over and said, "True Monarch, how did you fare in the exam?"

A flash of thought crossed Zhang Yu's mind, and accompanied by the processing of data, a line of text manifested in his consciousness: Jin Jun, Golden Core Stage, transferred 30 spiritual coins, mock exam average score 102.

"A mere piece of trash."

Zhang Yu cast a cold glance at the other man, completely disinclined to pay him any heed, and simply walked away.

Confronted by Ye Xingli, Bei Wufeng, Tu Lishan, and even more approaching candidates, Zhang Yu soared straight into the sky, choosing to depart immediately.

As a future disciple of the sect, Zhang Yu had no intention of socializing downward; ignoring everyone who drew near, he hurriedly rushed back toward his private cultivation chamber.

Yet, looking at the messages sent by the crowd, he thought to himself, "These fellows seem to place quite a bit of trust in me, hmph... Then before I depart for the sect, I shall borrow a round of money from them to purchase resources. I will take as much as I can carry to the sect, and whatever cannot be brought along, I shall simply consume on the spot."

"Not just them, the work arranged for me by Yun Zhiguang is also something I ought to find an opportunity to initiate."

"Furthermore, regarding the companies under my command, I should find a way to strip away some valuable assets and secretly sell them to those sect disciples..."

As for paying off tens of billions of spiritual coins in bonds? Zhang Yu did not care in the slightest.

"It is not as if I refuse to repay them. Defer it, slow it down, pay in installments. As for those paupers whose lifespans are insufficient to wait for the company to return the money, they can only blame their own destitution."

At this moment, Zhang Yu felt his mind was incredibly active, with one ingenious idea after another continuously welling up, intending only to drain everything dry before heading to the sect, so as to enter its gates in the absolute best condition.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived within the quiet room, prepared to seize the moment to begin his cultivation.

Yet, the very instant the heavy door of the private chamber closed, a surge of astral qi erupted from within his body, completely engulfing his form.

In the next breath, large demonic hands burst forth from within him, binding his entire body tightly.

"What?!"

He roared, just about to resist, when in the subsequent instant he beheld the true Zhang Yu emerging from his chest and abdomen, followed immediately by a finger pressing directly onto the center of his brow.

Seeing the memory of the Sect Examination clone sealed away and completely brought back under his control, Zhang Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"After pouring in too many memories of the Sect Examination, controlling it has become considerably more troublesome."

During this period, through the channels of the righteous gods and by assisting Yu Xinhan, Kuang Tianqing, Bai Zhenzhen, and Le Mulan, he had gathered an immense ocean of Sect Examination memories.

Using this vast sea of memories as nourishment allowed Zhang Yu to continue driving the cultivation technique of the "Hell Soul-Washing Scripture," advancing step by step toward the level 40 threshold.

Zhang Yu shook his head, yet he could not help but recall all the recent designs of his Sect Examination clone.

With his cultivation during this period, various purchased resources were continuously exhausted, and the spiritual coins within the accounts of the Magnetic Pole Divine Monarch, the Azure Wood Divine Monarch, and the Yin Spring Divine Monarch were also incessantly consumed, having already spent more than half without him realizing it.

"Cultivation at the Nascent Soul realm inherently demands massive consumption, and when supplemented by an immortal sect technique, these spiritual coins vanish even faster."

At this moment, Zhang Yu could not help but think again of the benefits promised by Yun Zhiguang.

"If I can truly become the Principal of Wanfa and then the wealthiest person below the tenth layer, using this foundation and seniority to seek an opportunity to enter the sect might indeed be an excellent path."

Zhang Yu could foresee that under the support of sufficient funds, resources, and power, his cultivation would be incomparably smooth, with almost no further worry about the shortage of immortal path resources, possessing an immensely profound immortal foundation.

Thinking up to this point, Zhang Yu immediately shook his head and thought secretly, "No, I have been influenced by that fellow's thoughts."

Suppressing the stray thoughts in his heart, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, "Alas, material temptation is omnipresent. As long as one still walks the path of the Kunxu Immortal Way, there is no one who does not desire wealth, who does not wish for sudden opulence."

"Aside from the material, there is also the spiritual."

Reflecting on the influence of the Sect Examination memories during this period, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "A vast quantity of Sect Examination memories is enough to alter a person's individuality, concepts, and character... until they are entirely unrecognizable. This is a form of spiritual corrosion."

"On the immortal path of Kunxu, resisting this dual corrosion of the material and the spiritual... is virtually impossible."

"Fortunately, I am using a cheat."

Requesting Monthly Tickets

(End of Chapter)