Era of Mist

Chapter 153: Chapter 152: The Little Township Examination Begins

Year 100 of the Mist Era. March 19th. Tumu Fortress Space City. All nine districts.

The Junior Prefecture Exam began today, at the very same time!

Countless initiates looked on with eager anticipation, countless academies braced themselves for the trial ahead, and countless parents were fraught with anxiety. The very first official examination by the Student Union—the one that would decide their futures—began on this day!

The Student Union dispatched its officials—all possessing at least a Scholar-level cultivation base—to each of the nine testing grounds to organize the assessment. It was unknown whether other Space Cities held their exams on this day, but at least in Tumu Fortress, within these nine districts that spread out like the petals of a flower, the Junior Prefecture Exam would begin at the same moment and end sequentially according to each site’s progress.

The number and skill level of the examinees differed across the nine major districts, but in the modern era, there was no such thing as ”exam migration.”

For one, the Student Union strictly prohibited testing outside one’s registered district. Anyone discovered doing so would be punished severely, blacklisted for life, and permanently barred from recruitment.

Furthermore, the Student Union’s exams were graded against a set difficulty standard, not on a ranked curve. Districts with stronger candidates would naturally have many students pass, while weaker districts would have few. This prevented scenarios where a class of weak, idiotic students could still make the list, or where a class of exceptionally strong students would still be cut down to just a handful of successful candidates.

As for the Celestial Golden Light, the top three who fought their way to the top in the more competitive districts would receive a greater share of Light than the top three from weaker districts. No one needed to worry about the exact amount or how it was calculated. The Celestial Dao itself maintained the balance, with no need for mortal intervention.

But regardless of whether a district was strong or weak, this was a momentous day for all.

The number of initiates far exceeded that of the scholars, so the examination was a much grander spectacle.

On this day, wow, the scene could only be described as a grand affair with thundering drums, popping firecrackers, fluttering red flags, and a sea of people—alright, there were no firecrackers. The Space City era prohibited air pollution and excessive noise. But the immense gathering of the crowd was undeniable.

Vast crowds of initiates and their parents gathered at the entrance to the Mu Yuan District’s Cultural and Sports Center. All the examinees from the entire district were concentrated inside this one venue for the assessment.

Although Mu Yuan District’s economy was not among the top, and its education was relatively underdeveloped, the number of examinees was by no means small. Take the Star Worker Union: its affiliated school alone had over eight hundred graduating students this year. The total number of graduating initiates in the entire Mu Yuan District exceeded eight thousand.

Not all of these eight thousand could participate in the exam, but as long as a family’s financial situation wasn’t too poor and the initiate themself wasn’t too clueless or unmotivated, quite a few managed to pass the qualification test.

After all, the test’s content only required achieving a ’Good’ rank in four first-stage subjects and a ’Pass’ in two second-stage subjects. In the timeline of the Champion Scholar Stone, the high school entrance exams for sixteen-year-olds covered more than this. Moreover, the initiates in this timeline had the assistance of Mind Energy. Wouldn’t it be utterly incompetent to still fall short of the passing grade?

Of course, those with exceptionally difficult personal or family circumstances were another matter entirely.

All told, just under five thousand people passed the qualification test.

Five thousand examinees, five thousand families. Huge crowds packed the entrance to the Cultural and Sports Center solid. The organizing committee, having managed the Junior Prefecture Exam many times, was well-experienced and had dispatched security personnel for crowd control early on. Only examinees were allowed inside; parents were not permitted to watch.

”Do your best!”

”Just relax, you’ve got this! Victory is yours!”

”You little brat, you’d better pass this test even if it kills you! If you don’t, I’ll break your legs!”

Shi Tiexin walked within the sea of examinees, swept forward by the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. Listening to the chorus of voices and seeing the parents’ expressions—some of affection, some of blessing, some of frustration at unfulfilled potential—Shi Tiexin felt a stir of emotion. He was a little dazed, a little envious, lost in a hazy memory. But ultimately, all these feelings settled into calm.

His calm came from his confidence.

Looking around at the other examinees, who were nervous, anxious, or buckling under immense pressure, Shi Tiexin’s gaze remained tranquil yet powerful.

’Are these people my competition?’

’No, they aren’t my competition. My real opponents are the ones in a stronger league.’

’For instance, the ones who managed to get credentials to observe the Prefecture Exam.’

”Well, well, if it isn’t the oh-so-majestic Young Master He Chong!” Even through the thick wall of people, Shi Tiexin heard an arrogant voice. ”What’s wrong? You look a bit listless. Oh, that’s right. I heard the other day that Young Master He Chong got slapped around by some plebeian. How about it? Does it still hurt?”

”You bastard! Gong Tengfei, don’t get cocky! Today, I’ll deal with that plebeian first, and then I’ll deal with you!” That was He Chong’s voice.

”A loser who got slapped around by a plebeian dares to run his mouth here? Hmph. Fine. I’ll be waiting. Let’s settle this once and for all today!”

The commotion was loud, and the students around Shi Tiexin began to stir, all craning their necks to see what was happening.

Shi Tiexin, however, paid them no mind.

’One is He Chong, the other is some young master I’ve never seen but who looks down on me all the same. It doesn’t matter. He Chong’s a bastard, but he was right about one thing. Today, I’ll take care of him first, then the other one. I’ll take on anyone who comes, and I’ll deal with them all!’

”Get your permits out! Everyone, get them out!” Security guards at the gate were checking the admission tickets one by one. Every so often, a cry of alarm would ring out, followed by someone dashing away. Sigh. No matter the era, there were always scatterbrains who forgot to bring this or that.

Before long, Shi Tiexin reached the main gate. A quick glance revealed the guard was from Xiongan—and someone he had met before. The very first time he had gone to Xiongan Mansion to look for Captain Chen, this was the man standing guard at the entrance. He hadn’t expected to see him again today.

What was even more unexpected was that the man actually remembered Shi Tiexin.

”It’s you,” the security guard said with a slight smile, patting Shi Tiexin’s shoulder. ”Make sure you pass!”

”I’ll take that as a good omen.”

Shi Tiexin returned the smile, then let himself be swept up by the human tide surging toward the main arena at the heart of the Cultural and Sports Center.

Guided by the staff, the five thousand initiates swarmed into the arena. The vast majority had never seen the Prefecture Exam before, and those who had rarely spoke of it, wanting to maintain their informational edge. Thus, the five thousand examinees looked like a huge, waddling colony of dazed penguins. Their legs shuffled forward, while their heads swiveled left and right as if on casters, finding everything novel and fascinating.

Shi Tiexin felt no trace of excitement or nervousness. He focused on what was ahead, gathering every ounce of his strength for the moment he would unleash it. At the same time, he directed all his attention to the things that truly mattered.

SQUEAK. A sound of friction came from under his feet. Shi Tiexin’s expression didn’t change, but his mind took note. Unlike the professional arenas of the Prefecture Exam, this venue had a flat wooden floor, and it had been waxed. Just walking normally on it was enough to produce an occasional squeaking sound.

’The wax is thick, and my shoes aren’t the best quality. I could slip...’

Shi Tiexin made a mental note. Then, as he walked, he began to subtly adjust his posture and the force of his steps, testing for the perfect balance between explosive power and stability.

Just as he was lost in thought, all the examinees arrived at their designated spots.