Chapter 37: THE EXAMINATION(11)

The third morning arrived, with Li Yan and Gu Jun making their way together toward the examination grounds. They had agreed the previous afternoon to enter the mountain examination as a pair, so Gu Jun had arrived at the agreed meeting place before first light and joined Li Yan and Hu Biyan on their way to the venue.

The atmosphere around the examination grounds was considerably more tense than it had been during the previous two days. The examinees knew that the written examination results would determine who was allowed to enter the final stage, yet no one knew how well they had actually performed.

Li Yan walked beside Gu Jun through the gathered crowd, listening to the anxious conversations around them without joining in. He had already reviewed the questions after submitting his paper, and although he had not expected perfection, he was confident that his score should be enough to qualify.

Several elders soon arrived on the elevated platform overlooking the examination grounds. Their appearance immediately quieted the surrounding examinees, who turned their attention toward the platform as Elder Shen stepped forward.

"The written examination consisted of three thousand points in total," Elder Shen announced after looking across the assembled examinees. "Any examinee who scored one thousand five hundred points or higher has qualified for the third examination. Anyone who scored below one thousand five hundred has failed and will not be permitted to enter the mountain examination."

The announcement caused a wave of murmurs to spread through the crowd.

Li Yan glanced at Gu Jun and saw the young man’s expression tighten slightly. Gu Jun had seemed confident about his answers, but hearing the exact passing requirement made even him nervous.

"One thousand five hundred points," Gu Jun murmured as he calculated the requirement. "That is exactly half."

"It means you only need to reach the threshold," Li Yan replied, because he could tell from Gu Jun’s expression that the number had made him more anxious than he wanted to admit.

Gu Jun nodded as he steadied himself. "I think I managed that much."

Elder Shen raised his hand, and the remaining conversations gradually died down.

"The results have been arranged according to your scores. The ranking boards will now be displayed. There are three thousand examinees on the written examination list, but only those who meet the required score will proceed to the mountain examination."

Several disciples carried the ranking boards onto the examination grounds and secured them in place.

The moment the boards were revealed, the examinees surged forward.

Li Yan did not rush because he knew the results would remain there, but Gu Jun grabbed his sleeve and pulled him toward the crowd when he realized that they would otherwise be left behind.

"Come on, Master. I want to see my score."

Li Yan followed him through the crowd, amused by Gu Jun’s sudden impatience. "You were just saying that you were confident."

"I was confident before I saw everyone else fighting to reach the ranking board."

They eventually found a position where they could see the upper portion of the list.

Li Yan’s gaze moved upward.

Then he stopped.

His name occupied the very first position.

First Place — Li Yan

Score — Three Thousand Points

For a moment, Li Yan stared at the result.

Three thousand points.

Full marks.

He had expected to rank well because he remembered almost every question, but seeing the perfect score written on the board still surprised him.

Gu Jun followed his gaze and stared as well.

"Master, you got full marks!"

His voice carried far enough that several nearby examinees turned toward them.

Li Yan could feel the attention gathering around him, but his own gaze remained fixed on the ranking board.

"So it seems."

Hu Biyan finally reached them and looked at the result. His face immediately brightened with pride because he knew exactly how much time Li Yan had spent studying for that examination.

"Yan Yan, you really answered every question correctly."

Li Yan smiled when he heard the genuine pride in his voice. "It seems all those nights you forced me to study were useful."

"I told you that your effort would pay off." Hu Biyan’s smile widened as he looked at the perfect score. "You just proved it."

Before Li Yan could answer, Gu Jun searched through the ranking list for his own name.

"There!"

He pointed toward a position considerably lower than Li Yan’s, and his face immediately brightened when he found the number beside his name.

Gu Jun — Two Thousand Points

Li Yan looked at the score and felt relieved because two thousand points placed Gu Jun safely above the passing requirement.

"You did well."

Gu Jun’s chest puffed slightly at the praise. "Of course I did. I cannot become the strongest and richest man on the continent if I cannot even pass the entrance examination."

Li Yan laughed at his reasoning.

"You are taking that promise seriously."

"You were the one who made it."

Gu Jun folded his arms with complete confidence because, in his mind, Li Yan had already promised him a future that was worth following.

Li Yan shook his head, though the smile remained on his face.

At the same time, the examinees continued searching for their names.

Those who found scores above one thousand five hundred celebrated with their companions, while those who fell below the threshold gradually left the examination grounds. One young man stood staring at the ranking board for a long time after discovering that he had scored one thousand four hundred and ninety-eight.

He had missed the passing requirement by only two points.

Li Yan noticed the disappointment on his face but did not approach him. There was nothing he could say that would change the result, and the Nine Jade Sect had made its rule clear from the beginning.

By the time the disciples finished checking the rankings, only one thousand five hundred examinees remained eligible for the mountain examination.

The others were dismissed from the examination grounds.

Li Yan looked across the remaining crowd and realized how dramatically the number of examinees had fallen since the beginning of the entrance examination. Thousands had arrived in Floating City hoping to enter the Nine Jade Sect, yet only half of those who reached the written stage had earned the right to attempt the final trial.

A disciple soon approached Li Yan and bowed.

"Li Yan, Elder Mo wishes to see you."