Fantasy: Unparalleled Prince, Conquering the Heavens!
Chapter 40: The Imperial Examination Begins_1

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Imperial Examination Begins_1

「Heavenly Fire Domain!」

It lay to the northwest of the Qin Empire, its area nearly equivalent to the East Ancient Domain, yet its power was considerably greater. This disparity stemmed from the Holy Fire Sect’s unification of the domain thirty thousand years ago.

Pope Duan Wanjiang sat upon his throne, clad in a long red robe. His skin, hair, and beard were all a fiery red, and his eyes, in particular, seemed to burn with blazing flames. An oppressive aura, like heavenly fire descending upon the world, filled the entire grand hall. "According to intelligence," he began, his voice resonating through the hall, "the Qin Empire in the southeast has unified the East Ancient Domain, greatly increasing its power! Their Crown Prince, Qin Wudao, possesses a special physique, has completed the eighth-rank Nirvana, and has the bearing of a future emperor! Fellow bishops, do you have any effective strategies?"

Below him stood the Saint Heir, Duan Yonghui, shrouded in black flames, his aura unsettling to the core. Anyone who met his gaze for too long would feel as if their very soul was on the verge of being devoured.

Further back stood ten bishops in robes of various colors, their expressions indifferent, each exuding a potent aura.

"Your Holiness, in my humble opinion, the Qin Empire has only just unified the East Ancient Domain and is internally unstable. This presents us with a rare opportunity!" Yan Jiannan, the Cardinal in Red, stepped forward and bowed slightly, a hint of battle intent in his eyes.

He was a staunch hawk, always advocating for external expansion. However, to their north lay the Changeable Mansion, where a Saint expert was in residence, so they dared not invade. To their west were the Ghost Tomb Ruins, an accursed and desolate place unsuitable for life, and thus, impossible to invade. To their east was the Wuling Domain, whose strength was comparable to the Heavenly Fire Domain. However, it had numerous allies, making an invasion unfeasible. The only remaining direction was the southeast, towards the East Ancient Domain. Its strength was relatively weak, making it a viable target for invasion. However, the Qin Empire was a tough nut to crack, and the Holy Fire Sect had failed to gain any significant advantage in their previous clashes.

"The Qin Crown Prince, having reached the eighth-rank Nirvana, poses a significant threat. For the safety of the Holy Fire Sect, he must be eliminated!" declared Jiang Tiansheng, the Cardinal in White.

"Your Holiness, we second the motion!" The remaining eight bishops stepped forward in unison, all supporting the call to battle.

"Since everyone supports going to war, then war it shall be!" Duan Wanjiang, himself an ambitious man, felt a formidable aura erupt from him as he saw the unanimous support. "Pass down my decree: initiate the Holy War!"

Holy War! This was the Holy Fire Sect’s highest level of military mobilization. All ten Divine Legions would enter a state of readiness; a single order was all it would take for them to march into battle.

"War! War! War!" Yan Jiannan roared, his eyes bloodshot, radiating an intense killing intent. "This time, I will defeat Bai Qi and bathe the Qin Empire in blood! The chance for revenge has finally come!"

Thirty years ago, he had led the Red Legion to invade the Qin Empire. In just three short months, a million of his soldiers had died in battle, and over three million more were buried alive. This became the greatest humiliation of his life.

Shame can only be washed away with blood. He had already decided: once the Qin Empire was defeated, he would massacre a hundred of its cities, slaughter tens of millions of Qin subjects, execute Bai Qi by slow slicing, and enslave his entire family—wife, children, young, and old...

At this moment, a calm voice echoed through the grand hall. Duan Yonghui slowly walked to the center. With each step, a black flame ignited beneath his feet, scorching the Void and creating a terrifying spectacle. "Pope," he said, "I wish to join the expedition!"

Duan Wanjiang looked at him and asked calmly, "You wish to challenge Qin Wudao?"

"Correct. Qin Wudao is the foremost prodigy of the East Ancient Domain. He should possess a great deal of Fortune!" Duan Yonghui licked his blackened lips. A few days prior, he had slain a prodigy from the Heavenly Fire Domain’s Hidden Dragon Ranking. After devouring the victim’s Fortune, he discovered his cultivation speed had increased slightly. Because of this, he was eager to kill more prodigies on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

This... Duan Wanjiang hesitated. He didn’t want Duan Yonghui to venture deep into the front lines; a war between two great domains was exceedingly dangerous. Duan Yonghui was the hope of the Holy Fire Sect. He possessed the ’Dark Magic Physique,’ ranked ninety-sixth, and had completed the eighth-rank Nirvana. His current strength was at the mid-stage of the Nirvana Realm, meaning he likely wouldn’t fear Qin Wudao. However, the Qin Empire had many experts. If anything were to go amiss...

"Pope, I can issue a Genius War challenge to the Qin Empire. That way, there won’t be any danger!" Duan Yonghui insisted, resolute in his desire to go.

"Very well!" After a moment of contemplation, Duan Wanjiang conceded. He then addressed the ten bishops, "I will personally command this war. Before we deploy, I shall awaken the Ancestor!"

"As you command, Pope!" Aside from Yan Jiannan, who looked slightly disappointed, the other bishops voiced no objections.

...

Meanwhile, the Qin Empire remained unaware of the Holy Fire Sect’s impending invasion. They were busy with preparations for the imperial examination system. As this was their first time implementing it, they decided to skip the county and prefectural preliminary exams; candidates would proceed directly from the local qualifying tests to the Palace Examination.

A week later, candidates who had passed the local qualifying exams, carrying their rations and travel money, began to converge on the Imperial Capital from all corners of the empire. For a time, the Imperial Capital, a city renowned for its martial valor, found itself imbued with a touch of scholarly gentility.

「Fifteen days slowly passed.」

On this day, five thousand desks were arranged in the palace square, each adorned with the ’Four Treasures of the Study.’ Five thousand literary candidates sat silently, awaiting the commencement of the examination. Elsewhere in the square, ten large sand tables had been set up. Hundreds of military candidates stood around each one, their expressions keen and spirited.

The Emperor of Qin, accompanied by his court officials, stood at the head of the main hall’s steps, looking down upon the candidates in the square. He nodded in satisfaction. These young people are the future of the Qin Empire, he thought.

In total, there were ten thousand literary and military candidates. These ten thousand scholars and martial artists had passed the local qualifying exams, selected from millions of aspirants. Every one of them was exceptionally gifted.

The Emperor of Qin glanced at the hour and commanded, "Begin!"

"As Your Majesty commands!" Li Si and Bai Qi stepped forth. Li Si then walked towards the five thousand literary candidates, while Bai Qi approached the five thousand military candidates.

The atmosphere in the square immediately became tense.

Bai Qi stepped before the literary candidates and announced, "The questions for the Palace Examination were personally set by His Majesty. Candidates are required to complete their answers within four hours. We will now begin distributing the exam papers!" With a wave of his right hand, five thousand exam papers materialized. As if possessing eyes of their own, they landed precisely on each desk, every sheet densely covered with text.

At Bai Qi’s command, "The examination begins!" the candidates started writing, their attitudes meticulous, daring not the slightest oversight. The results of this examination would determine their destinies.

Those with outstanding results would spread their wings and soar, gaining fame throughout the world! Those whose results were unsatisfactory would fail, left only with their regrets and the need to prepare for the imperial examination the following year!

Meanwhile, with the military candidates, Bai Qi had gathered ten generals. These generals hovered above the sand tables, serving as adjudicators. Bai Qi addressed the candidates, "For your part of the Palace Examination, each of you will command an army in simulated battle against an enemy force. Your scores will be determined by the number of enemies you manage to kill!"

BOOM!

After the rules were explained, the ten generals activated the formations. The ten sand tables seemed to spring to life, erupting with an overwhelming killing intent.

"Kill! Follow my command and kill!"

"Kill! By my order, a reward of ten taels of silver for every enemy slain!"

"Kill! Valiant sons of Old Qin, together we face this crisis for our state..."

These furious battle cries, one after another, echoed in the candidates’ ears, shaking them to their core. Those with weaker willpower fainted on the spot. The remaining candidates, though pale-faced, managed to steady their nerves and began their strategic simulations on the sand tables.

Time ticked by. An hour later, several figures in black cloaks rushed through the palace gates. They approached the Emperor of Qin and whispered a few words, their voices so low that only the Emperor himself could hear.

A major crisis has occurred! After the black-cloaked men finished their report, the Emperor of Qin’s expression became extremely grim. He glanced towards the northwest and then issued a mental message: "Proctors, continue overseeing the examinations. All other officials, convene in the throne hall for an urgent assembly..."