Congratulations to the Sect Master, Miss Chu Dominates the Spirit Nurturing Realm Exam! [2.8k]

Translator: AnubisTL

"Everyone, quiet!!"

"After verification, no violations were found in this year's Spirit Nurturing Realm exam..."

Announcing the top scorer should be done with excitement and a high-spirited tone, but Ouyang Qi's voice was low and listless.

After finishing the formalities, he handed the list to the examiner beside him, who then proceeded to read out the names and personal information of the top 500 scorers.

The examiner's lips twitched as he mustered his strength and began to announce loudly:

"Top scorer of the Spirit Nurturing Realm exam, Gu Feng, age 21, just entered the first level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm, from the Sunset Glow Sect!!"

"Top scorer of the Spirit Nurturing Realm exam, Chu Youhuan, age 23, peak of the third level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm, from the Sunset Glow Sect!!"

"Spirit Nurturing..."

"..."

The process was extremely lengthy and tedious, to the point that the examiner had to take deep breaths from time to time to keep himself going, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to complete this arduous task.

The atmosphere in the entire exam hall was somber. The million candidates, including the elders of major sects, prefecture lords, family heads, and leaders of various factions, all seemed dispirited.

Especially the big shots from Cloud Prefecture, their faces were ashen, as if they had swallowed a fly.

"Ah, we lost, how did we lose?"

"Not only did we lose, but we also suffered heavy losses, it's devastating!"

"Ah—"

A bitter smile crept into their hearts, and even the air around them seemed to be filled with a bitter taste.

"Actually, it's not all bad. Gu Feng joining our faction will surely bring some vitality."

Yan Hanyun adjusted his mindset and whispered, trying to find some silver lining in the midst of adversity.

"Let us congratulate the above Heaven's Chosen!" After completing his task, the examiner wiped the sweat from his forehead and stepped back.

The scene was eerily silent, the atmosphere heavy, and the candidates were too lazy to even complain.

Normally, when one gains an advantage, it's wise to remain humble and silent, but Gu Feng didn't care about any of that.

Standing tall on a boulder, he looked proud and shouted to the disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect:

"Why be reserved? Let's go wild!

As disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect, we should bear the losses together and celebrate the victories together!

We fought our way through more than 50,000 candidates, we won, we are the top scorers, we dominate the Spirit Nurturing Realm exam, we are the strongest, even the heavens would have to acknowledge us!!!"

"Cheer, howl, be passionate and unrestrained, don't be affected by the emotions of the losers, we are the undisputed kings!!!"

"Shout with me, the Sunset Glow Sect is eternal, the Sect Master is invincible!!!"

His arrogant expression matched his equally arrogant tone, making everyone present grit their teeth in anger, yet they could do nothing about it.

Especially the Heaven's Chosen from the five major sects, their faces were grim, their knuckles white with tension. If looks could kill, Gu Feng would have been obliterated.

"Leader Gu is right, the losers have no right to speak, you are the undisputed kings, unlike some losers who talk big before winning, only to be slapped in the face!

What are you looking at? I'm talking about you, Dugu Ao!!!"

Zero points! If I were to take the grand exam, I would undoubtedly crush you. From now on, keep a low profile!" Sima Juncong shouted, directly mocking Dugu Ao by name. The latter gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered, barely restraining himself from lashing out.

"The Sect Master is right, we are the strongest!"

"Hahaha, after wasting two hundred years, I've finally found my second wind. This time, I will defy the heavens!"

"When I was young, I met a fortune-telling scholar who predicted that I would achieve greatness late in life. I thought it was nonsense, but it turned out to be true!"

"Hahaha, it was worth swallowing over a dozen Innate Realm-Breaking Pills. All my efforts have not been in vain. Sweat does not betray, and the ancients did not lie to me!"

"Heaven has eyes! I've become one of the strongest Heaven's Chosen in the Great Chu Dynasty!"

"The achievements of our Sunset Glow Sect are unprecedented and will never be matched. If we don't revel in this now, when will we?"

"When people ask me when my most glorious moment was, I'll shout loudly: it's today, right now! I shine like the sun in the sky, illuminating eternity!"

"..."

The younger disciples were still somewhat reserved, but the older cultivators had already gone mad!

Some wept, some laughed, some shouted, some knelt and kowtowed toward their fathers' graves, and others cursed...

In the end, they all shouted in unison: "The Sunset Glow Sect is eternal, the Sect Master is invincible!"

"The Sunset Glow Sect is eternal, the Sect Master is invincible!"

"The Sunset Glow Sect is eternal, the Sect Master is invincible!"

Their voices shook the heavens, and everyone shouted until they were hoarse.

Crack—

One examinee's teeth shattered!

Pfft—

Another examinee vomited blood in anger!

Ah—

Yet another was driven to madness!

The remaining examinees roared in their hearts:

"Damn it, invincible my ass! Have they no shame? This is just luck, do they even understand that?"

"Damn it, how did Gu Feng get so lucky? Why did it have to be him?"

"Heavens, I'm willing to sacrifice a hundred years of my life if you would just send down a Thunder Tribulation and strike these shameless cultivators dead!"

"..."

If it weren't for the Sunset Glow Sect, they wouldn't be so frustrated.

But it had to be the Sunset Glow Sect, and it had to be Gu Feng!

Time and time again, they boasted, and time and time again, they humiliated everyone!

Why is this happening? Heaven is so unfair!!

Hua Wenyue and the other four Heaven's Chosen stood there, their faces expressionless, but their tightly clenched fists betrayed the turmoil in their hearts.

Compared to Gu Feng, they hated Monk Wu De even more. Without him, Gu Feng wouldn't be able to flaunt himself like this.

They resolved in their hearts that once they reached the Grand Harmony Academy, they would teach that lecherous monk a lesson.

In the following period, the results for the second and third Nurtured Spirit exam halls were announced.

The process went by quickly, as no one was in the mood.

"Regarding the first Nurtured Spirit exam hall, the examination committee has decided to hold an additional test!

It will last one day, with candidates competing to seize tokens..."

As expected, those who were supposed to make the list still did, but they felt no joy.

"The sixth grand examination of the Grand Harmony Academy has concluded successfully!"

"Those who made the list will rest in Tranquil Sky City tonight and head to the capital tomorrow for the new student induction ceremony!"

...

Bamboo Mountain Inn!

"Sect Master Gu, congratulations!" The Third Prince smiled, raising his cup in celebration.

"Congratulations to you as well!" Gu Feng grinned, clinking his cup with the prince's.

"What is there to celebrate?"

"You are the first person to win Spirit Stones from me!"

"It's my honor!"

"Everyone, eat and drink to your heart's content! Tonight's on me!" Gu Feng declared with great enthusiasm.

"Hahaha, congratulations, Sect Leader Gu! Please take care of my disciples at the Grand Harmony Academy in the future!" By now, Lin Xinhua and the others had adjusted their mindset.

After all, people must always look forward. Dwelling on past regrets is not worth it.

"Please take good care of us, Sect Leader Gu!" The disciples who had been admitted to the Grand Harmony Academy also came forward to toast him.

"Of course, of course!" Gu Feng accepted every toast and drank heartily.

The people of Cloud Prefecture celebrated until dawn.

Like Gu Feng and his group, the other Heaven's Chosen also stayed up all night, but their emotions were the complete opposite of those from the Sunset Glow Sect. They were filled with frustration and resentment, making it impossible for them to sleep.

At the inn where the Flower Sect was staying!

"Patron Hua, I am truly innocent! You must believe me!" Monk Wu De looked utterly miserable as he desperately tried to explain.

Hua Wenyue sat coldly in her chair, her sharp gaze fixed on him.

As soon as she returned to Tranquil Sky City, she had immediately summoned Monk Wu De.

She didn't use force, but the threat alone was enough. Monk Wu De, well aware of the Flower Sect's unique status in the Great Chu Dynasty, had no choice but to come and explain himself.

"I don't want to hear any nonsense!" Hua Wenyue's voice was icy, and it seemed she was ready to strike at any moment. The ten female cultivators at the peak of the third level of Nurtured Spirit standing beside her also radiated a chilling aura.

"Patron Hua, it was really Gu Feng who framed me! He's the mastermind behind all this, but I can't do anything about it. I have no evidence, and no one believes me. In yesterday's situation, I had no choice but to yield!" Monk Wu De spoke with deep frustration. His hatred for Gu Feng was no less than Hua Wenyue's.

"Then explain how he managed to take your Kasaya and Demon Subduing Pestle!" one of the female cultivators beside Hua Wenyue said coldly. She didn't believe a single word of Monk Wu De's explanation.

"This... I can't explain it. All I know is that Gu Feng is incredibly strong, ridiculously strong. When I struck him with my Demon Subduing Pestle, he didn't even flinch. Instead, he punched me so hard I vomited blood.

I suspect he can see through my Kasaya!" Monk Wu De said, looking utterly bewildered.

"Looking back now, the ancient character that appeared on Gu Feng's forehead was probably just a ruse to divert suspicion from himself!"

"I'll ask you a few questions. If you dare to lie, I'll kill you on the spot. You know that with my status, even if I commit murder in Tranquil Sky City, the Grand Harmony Academy won't dare to touch me." Hua Wenyue stood up, a faint layer of Spiritual Radiance swirling around her body, her eyes filled with killing intent.

"I understand!"

Although the Flower Sect was only the third-ranked sect in the Great Chu Dynasty, its network of connections was vast. Many Flower Sect disciples had married officials of the Great Chu Dynasty, not to mention other alliances through marriage.

As the daughter of the Flower Sect's Sect Master, Hua Wenyue's status was no less than that of Chu Youhuan, the daughter of the Grand Harmony Academy's headmaster. She had every right to speak as she did.

"Do you possess a Cultivation Method that allows you to alter your body shape?"

This question was crucial in determining whether the person who had harassed her that night was this fat monk before her.

"No, absolutely not! I only know some basic disguise techniques. I have no knowledge of such advanced body-altering secret arts." Monk Wu De hurriedly replied.

Afraid that Hua Wenyue wouldn't believe him, he even demonstrated his disguise skills.

After half an incense stick's worth of time, Monk Wu De had transformed himself into a Taoist priest.

"I've only learned some superficial skills, just enough to stick on some fake beards and hair, and change into a Taoist robe—simple disguises!" Monk Wu De said with a bitter expression.

"You bald donkey! So it was you who deceived our Flower Sect's Innate Realm disciple that day!" a female cultivator recognized him.

"Yes, I've even exposed my own misdeeds. You should believe me now!" Monk Wu De replied, his face full of distress.

"Do you have any accomplices?" Hua Wenyue asked, relieved that the Fat Monk wasn't the one from that night.

"No, absolutely not!" Monk Wu De shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

Hearing this, Hua Wenyue began pacing the room, carefully recalling every detail from those days.

Suddenly, she noticed something amiss.

That day, when Gu Feng was attacked by the bald donkey, he was the only victim. No other examinees had confronted the bald donkey, which was suspicious.

Moreover, his figure roughly matched the one she had envisioned in her mind.

Often, the ultimate beneficiary is the one who executed the plan.

The Sunset Glow Sect's overwhelming victory seemed too coincidental, making them highly suspect.

Analyzing it this way, Monk Wu De might not be lying. Gu Feng could very well be the one impersonating him to commit the crime.

However, all of this hinges on the assumption that Gu Feng possesses extraordinary strength.

Is Gu Feng really that strong?

Of course not!

Breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm on the day of the exam and then having the strength to make Monk Wu De vomit blood with a single strike?

Even myths wouldn't dare to write such a story!

Thus, all the previous deductions fall apart.

The situation had reached a deadlock, leaving the usually wise Hua Wenyue feeling confused.

Helpless, Hua Wenyue had no choice but to let Monk Wu De leave.

"Senior Sister Hua, do you believe that lecherous monk?" a female cultivator asked in a low voice after Monk Wu De had left.

"Half-truths, half-lies. It might not be Gu Feng, but we can't completely rule him out either. Perhaps there's a third possibility—someone impersonating Gu Feng, who then impersonated Monk Wu De!" Hua Wenyue's eyes flickered with thought.

"If that's the case, how do we find them?"

"No rush. This person must have entered the Grand Harmony Academy, and their strength is formidable. I must admit, this move of theirs is truly brilliant!

Do you think Vice-Prefect Ouyang hasn't noticed anything unusual? He probably can't figure out the mastermind either, so he's pretending not to know."

"There's plenty of time. The truth will come to light eventually!" Hua Wenyue felt she had encountered the most formidable opponent of her life, someone far more skilled than the other four Heaven's Chosen.

While it angered her, it also excited her!

...

Grand Harmony Academy!

"Prefect, I have both good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" Ouyang Qi had returned to the academy ahead of time to report on the exam results to Prefect Chu.

"Whatever!" Prefect Chu glanced at him, a hint of confusion in his eyes. What's gotten into Ouyang Qi? Since when did he start being so cryptic? He wasn't like this before.

"Then let's start with the good news!" Ouyang Qi cleared his throat and announced loudly, "In the Spirit Nurturing Realm exam, Miss Chu Youhuan outshone all her peers and decisively claimed the top spot!"

What!

Prefect Chu, who had been calm just a moment ago, shot to his feet upon hearing that Chu Youhuan had won the top honor, his face brimming with joy.

"Really? Youhuan took first place!!!"

After receiving confirmation, Prefect Chu laughed heartily, "Hahaha, wonderful! Youhuan has become the top scholar!"

The deputy prefects present also wore expressions of joy, each offering their congratulations to Prefect Chu.

"Hahaha, Youhuan has truly given me a wonderful surprise!"

As he spoke, Prefect Chu's eyes welled up with tears, deeply moved. "Youhuan's mother passed away early, and I failed to fulfill my responsibilities as a father. She harbors many grievances against me..."

"She has been an independent child since she was young, venturing to the remote Cloud Prefecture..."

By the end of his words, tears streamed down Prefect Chu's face, a mix of emotions evident in his weeping.

The deputy prefects smiled and offered words of comfort.

"Indeed, indeed, this is a moment of great joy. We must not be too sentimental. Tonight, we shall drink until we are drunk, celebrating both the Grand Harmony Academy's acquisition of a Heaven's Chosen and my own personal joy!"

Overwhelmed with elation, Prefect Chu grabbed everyone's hands, ready to head out for drinks.

"Prefect, there is still some bad news," Ouyang Qi said with a twitch of his lips, speaking cautiously.

"Hahaha, with such good news, there can be no bad news! I won't listen, keep it to yourself." Prefect Chu paid no heed; for him, the news of Chu Youhuan becoming the top scholar was so good that no bad news could possibly exist.

"Prefect, it really is bad news. I fear you won't be in the mood to drink after hearing it," Ouyang Qi said with a sly smile.

"Then don't say it at all!" Prefect Chu laughed heartily, already leading everyone out of the room.

"Prefect, if you hear the bad news tomorrow, you must not punish me!" Ouyang Qi seized the moment to secure a pardon.

"Hahaha, don't worry, even if you poke a hole in the sky, I won't punish you!"

"Thank you, Prefect!"

(End of the Chapter)

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