Chapter 346 - 165: The Dormant Youth Ascends the Stele: Double A-Plus and a Prefecture Roll Call

Chapter 346: Chapter 165: The Dormant Youth Ascends the Stele: Double A-Plus and a Prefecture Roll Call

Just then, two magnificent carriages drove past one after another, embroidered with the emblems of the ’Embroidery Lineage’ and the ’Jade Shop,’ causing a commotion.

When the onlookers saw this, they couldn’t help but feel a surge of envy:

"Those are the carriages of the ’Upper Nine Professions.’ Disciples from the Upper Nine Professions get to enroll without an examination every time the Mansion Courtyard recruits. They get a chance to be taught the Great Xuan Mansion Courtyard’s Secret Martial arts and Divine Soul Techniques. It’s so unfair..."

"The Nine Professions rake in gold every day. The money and silks they donate to the Mansion Courtyard pile up like mountains. That’s what it costs to buy one of their direct lineage disciples a chance to study. If you had that kind of money, you could do it too."

As the whispers spread, the curtains of both carriages were lifted at almost the same time.

When a young woman radiating nobility, with a beautiful face, bent down and stepped out of the carriage, those who recognized her had mixed feelings:

"Besides, even if they didn’t have the exemption, these Grand Lineage disciples are pampered elites. They’re conditioned with Treasure Medicines daily. Their cultivation realms are anything but ordinary."

"Take these two, for example. One is the Young Miss of the Embroidery Lineage. Her master is a great figure in her School, the Mansion Courtyard instructor ’Ye Luan.’ Though young, she’s already touched the threshold of Skin Refining."

"Give it time—in three years, she’ll probably be a Leader of the five divisions, another prodigy claiming a top spot."

"And that Miss Cai from the Jade Shop—although her cultivation is slightly inferior, her family background is incredible. She’s the direct granddaughter of the old master of the Jade Shop!"

"I heard her father is already making a name for himself in one of the State’s Vassal Towns. It’s a sure thing that she’ll inherit the Jade Shop’s position in time. How can anyone compete with that?"

Cai Ling’Er and Ye Ningzhi stepped out of their carriages, flanked by their maids and attendants. They had only to briefly raise their eyes and scan the surroundings for many people to look away, not daring to gossip any further.

But when the two young women saw Ji Xiu standing motionless beneath the stone stele, their eyes lit up in unison, and they quickened their pace towards him.

Watching the two pampered young misses from the Grand Lineages standing obediently behind the young man, the onlookers were overcome with even greater envy.

They all had the same thought: ’He must be from some top-tier, powerful family in the prefecture. How else could he know the top two young mistresses of the Grand Lineages?’

It wasn’t until someone who had seen or heard the rumors about Ji Xiu on Daoist School Street or in the Fishing Trade spoke up, his eyes narrowing as he revealed the truth:

"Could that be Ji Xiu? The grand-disciple of Wang Xuanyang from the ’Celestial Blade Style’? The one who came from a rural county and broke the backs of sixty-three Daoist Schools!?"

"Yes, it must be him! Otherwise, the Young Misses of the Embroidery Lineage and the Jade Shop, who were said to be fierce rivals, would never appear so harmonious together!"

Seeing the thin Daoist Treasure Robe he wore and the Gang Qi that rose from his body almost like wolf smoke, the area in front of the Mansion Courtyard’s stone steles fell silent in an instant.

If one could attribute the status of Ye Ningzhi, Cai Ling’Er, and the other Grand Lineage Members to their noble births, then when faced with this young man whose life story had long since become legend, everyone who saw him had to feel a sense of sincere admiration!

DONG! DONG! DONG! ℯ

Just then, the ’Ancient Bell’ inside the Mansion Courtyard rang. At the same time, an expert from the Mansion Courtyard, dressed as an instructor, walked out from the stone steps and showed his face:

"Those who have obtained ’Mansion Courtyard qualification,’ aside from those exempt from the examination, must first be tested by the ’Martial Stele,’ and then the ’Divine Stele,’ to measure your cultivation."

"You must have at least reached Great Success in Bone Forging Body Refinement, or possess the Dao Skill of Qi Absorption and Grain Avoidance, to be eligible to participate in the five-gate assessment of ’Archery, Horsemanship, Weaponry, Martial Arts, and Spirit’!"

The solemn voice, carrying surging True Qi, spread throughout the inside and outside of the Mansion Courtyard, causing the murmuring crowd to fall silent.

A Mansion Courtyard Instructor! Even within the Jiangyin Prefecture Courtyard, they were exceedingly rare!

Because without exception, only those who had achieved the merit and fame of a ’Prefecture Official’ were qualified for the role!

In other words, this instructor before them must have at least placed in the top ranks—the top ten—during a previous Grand Examination of the Manors or a Prefecture Official trial to have the opportunity to stand here and participate in the ’Prefecture Students’ selection!

Upon hearing the conditions he announced, those who had obtained the ’Prefecture Examination qualification’ and came from somewhat prominent family backgrounds couldn’t help but turn pale:

"Why have the requirements been raised again? In previous years, you could participate just by reaching the initial stage of Bone Forging, but now it requires Great Success in Bone Forging. And there’s a rule for Prefecture Students that you can’t enter if you’re over twenty-five..."

"Great Success in Bone Forging before the age of twenty-five... only the direct lineages of the Thirty-Six Professions can barely manage that, right?"

"The requirements really do get stricter every year. Just getting the ’Prefecture Examination qualification’ is already like an army of thousands crossing a single-plank bridge after countless rounds of selection."

"But even after getting to the very gates, even if we don’t dream of becoming a ’Prefecture Official,’ is it impossible to even enter the Mansion Courtyard to study for three years, cultivate Secret Martial Divine Soul, and hope to one day advance to the rank of Grandmaster!?"

Instantly, nearly half the people became utterly dejected, feeling as though they had been blocked at the very first gate.

The other half, however, looked toward the two giant steles and began to walk closer, eager to try.

The so-called ’Martial Stele’ and ’Divine Stele’ were the two divine steles, each dozens of feet tall, standing before the Mansion Courtyard’s entrance and inscribed with excerpts from the ’Profound Monarch Secret Scripture’!

Legend had it that before taking up their post, every Dean in history would extract a wisp of their own Divine Essence and infuse it into the steles. The longer a Mansion Courtyard’s history, the deeper its Divine Charm and heritage.

Since Jiangyin Prefecture was established to govern the various counties, its history spanned close to three hundred years, and it had seen a total of twenty-one Deans.

Thus, even though these two stone steles appeared ordinary, the immense power contained within them was such that not even a Dragon and Tiger Expert could shatter them if they came in person.

As long as these two stone steles stood firm, acting as a ’stone foundation’ to suppress and anchor the Mansion Courtyard’s Qi Number, it was equivalent to using human fortune to forcibly create a ’man-made Blessed Land’!

No wonder the young talents from every prefecture and county flocked to this place. It was a grand statement, proclaiming, ’All the heroes under heaven will enter my grasp’!