Test without Writing

Sheng Zhen entered the hall that Jin Cifen had pointed and immediately knew something was wrong. Everyone here was wearing the best robes money could buy, sitting cross-legged behind small wooden desks, pouring over thicks tomes like students trying to do last-minute cramming before the exams. He even spotted Wen Peizhi, the arrogant girl from Blooming Lotus Pavilion sitting at the front.

It did not take much for Sheng Zhen to realize he had been tricked. Outer sect exams were for commoners, who usually did not know how to read and write. But here everyone was reading like preparing for entrance exams.

Sheng Zhen found himself a seat at the back. If he is here, he might as well get to it. He might not be a great alchemist yet but he was no slouch either. He after all had studied alchemy for years, practicing and refining using the knowledge and experience of some of the greatest Alchemists in the cosmos.

Sitting down, he placed the cauldron on the side and waited for the exams to start.

It was no long before a short, middle-aged man wearing green robes came along with Jin Cuifen. The moment they entered all activities stopped. Those reading alchemy tomes closed them and put them in spatial rings.

Seeing everyone settle down, the green-robed man spoke in a no-nonsense tone, "I am Jin Yaozu, a rank Three alchemist and I will be proctor of your inner sect examinations."

"As you must know, the inner sect exams are divided into two parts, test of knowledge and test of pills"

"To become an alchemist, a person needs a solid base in the knowledge of its ingredients, their properties, how they react with each other, how they react with each other, and myriad of other things. What I mean to say is that without knowledge, no one can become an alchemist. Hence the first test is the test of Knowledge."

Jin Yaozu waved his hand, and under his expert control of spiritual energy, the individual parchment floated from the stack at the front of the hall to each aspirant. Many were surprised at the display, others did not pay it any mind. Sheng Zhen, on the other hand, looked intrigued. He knew it was a rather simple use of spiritual energy but it was the first time he had seen it being used in person, other than him obviously.

A stack of paper sheets floated in front of him, marked with his name. Sheng Zhen raised his head and looked in front, where Jin Cuifen was standing. The young alchemist was wearing a purple cultivator's robe and was sitting in the middle of the room. Even the Procter of the exam was standing slightly behind him, an unconscious show of deference.

Jin Chifen's eyes were fixed on him, and an all too familiar sneer adorned his lips.

"You have twenty hours to complete the test, get to it", the proctor declared.

Every examinee took out brushes, ink, and inkstones from their spatial rings, everyone except Sheng Zhen. But no examinee paid him any mind except those who sniggered before focusing on their exam paper.

Sheng Zhen frowned, he had nothing to write with. Turning to his neighbor, he asked,

"Hey, do you have an extra Brush or something?"

His neighbor turned to him, pissed "Yes, but a lowlife like you is not worthy to even hold it."

Sheng Zhen pulled back and tried asking another, only to be told off.

From the front, Cuifen mirthfully watched the entire exchanged. Behind him, the Procter did not say anything, closing his eyes to anything happening. Usually, he would have thrown the scamp out the moment he saw but the young master wanted some entertainment, and who was he to deny.

After being rebuffed the third time, Sheng Zhen gave up and rose from his seat. But the moment he did that, Jin Cuifen also rose up, not wanting his piece of "entertainment" to end.

"Ah, you must be Sheng Zhen", Jin Cuifen spoke as if him remembering his name was a gift from ancestors, "I am afraid you can not leave yet."

He stood in front of him, towering over twelve-year-old Sheng Zhen, "You see, once the examination starts, no one allowed to leave."

"Well, then give me something to write with!", Sheng Zhen said, trying and failing to keep the frustration out of his voice. By this time most examinees were looking at Jin Cuifen and Sheng Zhen.

"Oh so want to write?", Jin Cuifen took out a brush and ink slab from his spatial ring and like the proctor, used spiritual energy to levitate them towards Sheng Zhen.

Sheng Zhen extended his hands to catch. But the moment they were about to touch him, he sensed something and immediately withdrew.

The very next moment, a fiery green flame engulfed the floating items.

"Tskk", Jin Cuifen looked disappointed.

"Did you see that, Young master Jin's Earth Flame Spirit."

"Life wheel Flame, an Earth flame Spirit perfect for alchemy."

"No wonder Young Master Jin is the greatest Alchemist of the generation."

Examinees sitting near them started buttering up to Jin Cuifen, but his focus was solely on Sheng Zhen standing in front.

"What did you think 'peasant'? Do you know how to write? If you are here then...Finish without Writing!",

Saying his piece, he turned around. The green flames burning in the air extinguished, leaving behind nothing but ashes.

A few of the nobles sitting in front were about to start jeering when a heavy pressure filled the room, and everyone stopped right in their tracks.

Proctor opened his eyes in alarm, getting up. Even Jin Cuifen froze midstep and every head in the room turned to the twelve-year-old standing near the front. No one here was foreign to the feeling, everyone filling the hall, the feel of spiritual energy. But not on this scale, never on this scale.

Sheng Zhen took a calming breath and brought it back under control. In a single moment of rage, released his Spiritual energy. Like water rushing out of a dam, it rushed and filled the entire hall. Bringing it back under control, he controlled it, focused it. But to everyone else, the raw power crushing them vanished like nothing.

Under Sheng Zhen's control ashes floating in the air started to spin, and coagulate, turning into a floating pill of ash black like ink.

"Thank you, I will answer without writing", Sheng Zhen answered, his eyes shining angry azure.

Going back to his seat, the floating ash turned into a tiny stream and under Sheng Zhen's flawless control, the ash turned to floating words before depositing the sheet in form of answers as everyone watched in astonishment at the display of spiritual control bordering insane.

The questions were simple, meant for testing Apprentice Alchemists. To him, the test did not pose even a spec of problem, he was already a Rank two Alchemist after all.