From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 196 The Great Test Begins: Xiao Yao Encounters Difficulties

Back at the inn, Linglong was still excited and kept chattering away, but I just couldn't feel happy.

Tomorrow is the grand examination of the immortal sect. Although the matter of the wealthy merchant Ouyang and Venerable Xuanfeng has been resolved, I still feel like a huge rock is pressing on my heart.

Without spiritual roots, can I really pass this crucial test?

No sleep for one night.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window and fell on my face. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door of the inn.

The examination venue was located in Xianmen Square, and even before approaching it, one could feel a solemn atmosphere.

The square was bustling with people, and candidates in all sorts of clothes moved back and forth, their faces filled with tension and anticipation.

My heart was pounding like a drum.

Upon entering the examination room, a strong scent of ink wafted towards me.

I found my seat and sat down, my gaze falling on the jade slip in front of me.

The surface was covered with intricate runes and obscure formations. My head buzzed, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.

This……

It’s too difficult!

I bit my lip, trying to calm myself down.

Looking around, I saw that the other candidates had already begun to write furiously, the pens rubbing against the jade slips, making a rustling sound like a death knell, pounding on my nerves.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at the question, but the runes were like little tadpoles jumping around in front of my eyes, and I couldn't see them clearly no matter what.

My palms started sweating, and my heart was beating faster and faster.

No, I can't panic!

I kept telling myself this, but the more I tried to calm down, the more anxious I became.

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Senior Brother Wang sitting diagonally in front of me. His hand was moving furtively inside his sleeve, as if he were hiding something.

My heart was moved. Could it be...

?

I quietly shifted my gaze to his cuff, where a jade pendant shimmering with a faint light was revealed.

The jade pendant was covered with tiny runes, making it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary object.

Cheating!

He was cheating!

My heart sank, and a surge of anger welled up inside me, but it was quickly replaced by fear.

If I expose him, how will he retaliate against me?

In this world where the strong rule, I, a useless person without spiritual roots, have absolutely no ability to resist.

The atmosphere in the examination room became eerie; the air seemed to freeze, making it hard for me to breathe.

My gaze darted back and forth between Senior Brother Wang and the jade slip in my hand, my heart in turmoil.

How to do?

what should I do?

Suddenly, Senior Brother Wang raised his head and gave me a sinister smile.

he……

He noticed I was watching him!

My heart sank suddenly and a chill ran from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

"Junior Sister Xiao," he lowered his voice, speaking in a tone only the two of us could hear, "can you see clearly?"

His voice was like a venomous snake's hiss, sending chills down my spine.

I forced myself to remain calm and asked, feigning ignorance, "Senior Brother Wang, what are you talking about? I don't understand this question."

He sneered, and as he spoke, he deliberately flicked his sleeve, making the jade pendant shine even brighter.

My heart sank to the bottom; he was threatening me!

I bit my lip and forced myself to calm down.

I cannot be intimidated by him, nor can I let him drag me down.

"Senior Brother Wang, I don't understand what you mean." I tried my best to keep my tone calm, but my palms were already soaked with sweat.

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of warning in his voice: "Junior Sister Xiao, discretion is the better part of valor. If you keep quiet, it will benefit both of us. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat he implied was already obvious.

I took a deep breath and tried to control my trembling body.

I cannot yield, nor can I compromise.

Just then, I noticed that Senior Sister Zhao, who was sitting on my other side, had already finished answering one question and was quickly writing down the next one.

Her pen danced across the jade slip, making a soft, rustling sound, like a sharp knife cutting into my heart, again and again.

I looked at the jade slip in front of me; it was still completely blank.

My heart was burning with anxiety, and sweat seeped from my forehead, dripping onto the jade slip and creating a blurry water stain.

The atmosphere in the exam room became increasingly oppressive, and I felt like I was having difficulty breathing.

Deacon Lin's sharp, hawk-like gaze swept across the entire examination room, and I felt a sense of unease whenever I made the slightest movement.

I felt like I was trapped in a giant cage, unable to move.

"Half the time has passed!" Deacon Lin's voice echoed like a booming bell in the examination hall, and my heart sank.

Half the time has passed, but my jade slip is still blank.

Senior Brother Wang looked at me again, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Junior Sister Xiao, it seems you really don't know how. How about..." he said, shaking the jade pendant in his sleeve.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug deep into my flesh, and a piercing pain brought me back to my senses a little.

I cannot be controlled by him, nor can I give up.

Suddenly, my gaze fell upon a tiny rune on the jade slip…

"Wait," I said in a low voice, "this..."

This rune...

My heart skipped a beat, and a surge of inspiration, like an electric current, instantly coursed through my body.

I've seen this rune in ancient books!

Although it is inconspicuous, it is precisely the key to solving this problem!

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my excitement, and began to write on the jade slip.

The rustling sound of the pen tip rubbing against the jade slip was no longer a death knell, but a melodious tune that echoed in my heart.

My thoughts became clearer and clearer, and the runes I wrote became more and more fluent.

I felt as if I had entered a wondrous realm, where everything around me disappeared, leaving only me and this problem.

Time passed second by second, and my jade slip was gradually covered with dense runes.

"She...she's actually answering the questions!" Someone exclaimed, breaking the silence of the examination room.

The other test-takers around me looked up and stared at me in surprise.

Their

"Hmph, putting on airs!" Senior Brother Wang snorted coldly, glancing at me disdainfully.

I ignored him and continued to focus on answering the questions.

Suddenly, I was hit hard on the shoulder, and the jade slip in my hand almost slipped out of my grasp.

I suddenly looked up and was met with Senior Brother Wang's gloomy face.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth, and I was filled with rage, a surge of hot blood rushing to my head.

He actually dared to deliberately bump into me!

"You..." I was about to speak when he interrupted me.

"Junior Sister Xiao, be careful. If you damage this jade scroll, you won't be able to hand in your paper." His tone carried a hint of threat.

I bit my lip tightly, trying hard to control my emotions.

I cannot provoke him, nor can I let him succeed.

I took a deep breath, picked up the jade slip again, and continued answering the questions.

My hands trembled slightly, but my eyes remained unusually firm.

I will not be intimidated by him, nor will I be defeated by him.

I must solve this problem and prove myself!

The pen tip danced across the jade slip, making a soft, rustling sound, like a battle song playing in my heart.

My eyes shone with a determined light, like a blazing flame illuminating the entire examination hall.

“Senior Brother Wang,” I raised my head, looking directly at him, my tone icy, “I saw everything you were doing…”

My voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone around me to hear clearly.

Senior Brother Wang's face turned deathly pale instantly. He never expected that I would dare to expose him in public.

The other test-takers around us also stopped writing and looked at us curiously.

Deacon Lin's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, sweeping over Senior Brother Wang's sleeve, and the jade pendant that shimmered with a faint light was nowhere to be hidden in his eyes.

"Senior Brother Wang," Deacon Lin's voice was cold and authoritative, "do you have anything else to explain?"

Senior Brother Wang's lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

His face was pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He trembled like prey being targeted by a hunter.

"Considering this is your first offense, I'll give you a warning this time," Deacon Lin's voice remained icy. "If there's a next time, you'll be severely punished!"

Senior Brother Wang was overjoyed and nodded in agreement. The surrounding candidates also breathed a sigh of relief, and the tense atmosphere in the examination room eased slightly.

I held my head high, my gaze sweeping over the crowd. Their eyes were filled with surprise, admiration, and even a hint of...

Awe?

I took a deep breath, picked up the jade slip again, and continued answering the questions.

My hands stopped trembling, and my heart calmed down.

I overcame my fear and also overcame the threat from Senior Brother Wang.

I won this small victory with my courage and wisdom.

Time passed second by second, and the runes I wrote became more and more fluid and I became more and more confident.

I felt as if I had entered a wondrous realm, where everything around me disappeared, leaving only me and this problem.

My thoughts were clear, my pen flew across the page, and I felt as if I had transformed into a rune master, effortlessly combining complex runes into exquisite arrays.

"Time's up!" Deacon Lin's voice echoed like a booming bell in the examination hall, and my pen came to an abrupt halt.

I looked up, took a deep breath, and handed over the jade slip in my hand.

Deacon Lin took the jade slip and examined it carefully. He looked up, his gaze falling on me, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

“Xiao Yao,” he began slowly, “your performance has exceeded my expectations…”

Suddenly, the array in the center of the examination hall shone brightly, and a figure slowly appeared.

He was an old man with an air of otherworldly wisdom, dressed in a white Taoist robe, holding a whisk, with white hair and a youthful face, and piercing eyes.

He was none other than the immortal who set the questions—Immortal Sun.

He slowly scanned the examination hall, then began, "Fellow candidates, the second exam is about to begin..." He paused, and a complex rune appeared on the stone tablet...

As I looked at the runes, my heart sank.

This……

what is this?