Era of Mist

Chapter 154: Chapter 153: The Wenxin Secret Realm Opens, Six-Colored Protective Light

”Everyone, fall in!” a resonant voice commanded. ”Find your positions as indicated on your admission tickets! Quickly!”

Five thousand people quickly formed ranks. Shi Tiexin found a spot for himself, neither in the center nor on the fringes.

He glanced around. The spectator stands were completely empty; this preliminary district exam had no audience. Only on the main dais did staff members bustle about, making final preparations. They were remarkably efficient, not keeping the candidates below waiting for long. Inspectors, proctors, medical teams, and even staff from a handful of media outlets soon all took their positions.

As the five thousand candidates craned their necks in anticipation, a group of people who were clearly leaders appeared, making their way to the main dais in order of precedence. Most of the candidates didn’t recognize these seemingly lofty figures. But there were always a couple of show-offs who would whisper their identities in feigned shock, just to display their own worldliness and vast connections, all for the sake of undermining the confidence of those around them.

’Heh. It sounds silly, but people really do that sort of thing.’ Shi Tiexin had seen it plenty of times during job interviews, so he paid it no mind.

’What difference does it make whether you know them or not? In the end, only strength truly matters.’

CREAK, CREAK. Shi Tiexin kept his head down, sensing the change in friction beneath his feet.

’It really is a little too slippery.’

Shi Tiexin was still wearing his old shoes, the treads on their soles worn completely smooth. A proper pair of combat boots might not have been much affected by the waxed floor, but shoes like his were a definite hindrance.

’Good thing I noticed early.’ Shi Tiexin subtly adjusted the way he applied force through his feet, adapting to the surface ahead of time to avoid being caught off guard once the action started.

”Look, is that the chief examiner for this test?”

”He’s so young. Who is he?”

”No idea, but his status must be incredibly high. See how respectfully the Director of Education is acting beside him? He must be a major figure in the Student Union.”

There were whispers all around, but Shi Tiexin paid them no mind until a familiar voice, powerful and resonant, spread from the main dais above, carrying across the entire venue.

”Candidates, today I will be presiding over this preliminary exam for the Mu Yuan District.” The voice was gentle, yet it held a biting chill; it was pliable, yet possessed a piercing edge. Just hearing it sent a jolt through the crowd, snapping them to attention. ”This preliminary exam is the first stage of the Student Union’s official trials. It is also the first step you will take toward changing your fate and forging your career.”

’Hm? That voice!’

Shi Tiexin’s head snapped up, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Standing there at the center of the dais, speaking eloquently to the crowd, was none other than the Student Union official he had chatted with at the mouth of the old alley—the ”helpful person”!

Back then, the ”helpful person” had seemed so casual and carefree. But right here, right now, he stood high above them all, radiating an immense, inviolable authority.

Shi Tiexin couldn’t help but be astonished. He had assumed this ”helpful person” was just a low-level gofer in the Student Union, the type to serve tea and run errands. After all, the man had been accompanied by many mature, imposing, middle-aged men who had completely overshadowed him. To see him again now, presiding over an entire district’s preliminary exam... he was a figure of unbelievable stature!

A flash of realization struck Shi Tiexin. ’A few days ago, I heard from Little Dog that to preside over an official Student Union trial, you have to open a Wenxin Secret Realm. To open a Wenxin Secret Realm, you must possess a Wenxin. And anyone who possesses a Wenxin is a Grand Scholar. For a Grand Scholar this young in Tumu Castle... could he be...?’

”I won’t say any more. I wish you all the best of luck.” The young man was a man of few words. He waved his arm, sleeve unfurling, and his hands blurred into phantoms, rapidly executing several Spells. The Dual Sword Technique slashed through the air—SWISH, SWISH—leaving behind bright, mystical trails of light that hung in the void, forming dazzling and bewildering symbols.

Shi Tiexin’s pupils constricted.

’Void Traces!’

’It really is him! So this is the famous Dragon Map Scholar I’ve heard so much about!’

Looking again at the shimmering runes that hung in the air, solid and un-dispersing, Shi Tiexin finally understood what ”Void Traces” meant. With his current level of perception, he could only grasp the superficial aspects. Yet even this surface-level display, the mere sight of these glowing symbols, was enough to leave him dazzled and unable to decipher them.

The entire process took less than a second; the Spells were fully drawn in the air. With a sharp snap of his wide robes, the Dragon Map Scholar clapped his hands together and roared, ”Open!”

BOOM!

It was the same peculiar presence, the same violent, explosive force. There was no physical sound wave, yet Shi Tiexin felt the overwhelming shock of facing a massive explosion head-on. For a fleeting instant, something seemed to shoot out from the top of the Dragon Map Scholar’s head, radiating a brilliant light, but Shi Tiexin couldn’t see it clearly.

Before he could widen his eyes to get a better look, a massive spatial wave surged forward, engulfing his consciousness.

His brain seemed to stop for a moment. The sensation was identical to the last time.

Then, a jolt of mind-force in his brain shook him out of the strange vertigo. Shi Tiexin found himself in a completely different space. He looked around; the venue was still the same venue, the wooden floor still the same wooden floor, but the entire scene was now completely devoid of people.

From inside the secret realm, it was impossible to see outside, and it was impossible for the candidates to see each other.

’Good. At least this way I don’t have to worry about anyone observing me and figuring out my techniques beforehand.’

A boundary resembling a Broken Glazed Mirror enveloped the entire arena, giving every contestant ample room to maneuver. A faint, six-colored light swirled within this glazed boundary. In this environment, a powerful calling seemed to extend an invitation to the mind-force in his brain. Without needing any special technique, Shi Tiexin subconsciously knew how to condense the six-colored ball of light.

”All candidates, prepare yourselves.”

The young scholar’s voice echoed from every inch of the secret realm, impossible to miss.

Following the call, Shi Tiexin gathered his energy and let out a low shout.

”Rise!”

A six-colored orb of light shot out from his head, hovering in mid-air. It swirled and flowed, looking exceptionally mysterious.

Staring at the six-colored orb, Shi Tiexin carefully sensed it and discovered that it wasn’t the actual substance of the mind-force from his brain. His mind-force was still safely where it belonged, inside his head. This orb, instead, seemed to be a new form created by the fusion of his mind-force with the special power of the Wenxin Secret Realm, and its existence was sustained entirely by his mind-force.

”Come!”

At Shi Tiexin’s thought, the six-colored orb shot forward—WHOOSH—and enveloped his body. A sensation that was neither cool nor warm washed over him, and Shi Tiexin felt as if he had been coated in a thin film.

A quick glance revealed a thin layer of light covering his entire body. This six-colored layer was visibly thinner than those of the examinees he’d seen at the prefectural trials, but judging by the purity and brightness of its colors, Shi Tiexin felt his was in no way inferior—it might even be stronger.

The strange sensation vanished quickly. He wiggled his fingers; it didn’t hinder his movements in the slightest, as if it wasn’t even there.

’So that’s how it works. This layer of light constantly drains mind-force. No wonder everyone prefers a quick fight.’ Shi Tiexin sensed the rate at which his mind-force was being consumed. As long as the layer didn’t break and need repairing, simply maintaining it was no problem for him at all. The drain was actually slower than his mind-force regeneration rate. ’It seems the consumption reduction from my root bone and the recovery bonus from my qi vessels are incredibly effective.’

’But it probably isn’t this easy for everyone else.’

He looked up. Ten meters away, a humanoid figure made of light coalesced in the empty space before him.

”The exam begins!”

With a flash, the radiant humanoid figure charged straight toward him.