Time passed swiftly, and it was now October 15th.
On this day, shops across Xuanhuang City opened early, and the entire city buzzed with festivity. It was the Imperial Examination Day, and not just for the civil examination—this time, the military exam was being held concurrently.
The Imperial Exam tested candidates on various disciplines. The Military Exam, on the other hand, simulated actual warfare to select the most capable commanders.
What was required for the military exam was not mere book knowledge, but true tactical genius and leadership under pressure.
This was destined to be a fierce contest of intellect and strategy.
The civil exam consisted of ten core subjects:
Education
Agriculture
Law and Justice
Commerce
Military Affairs
Engineering
Medicine
Bureaucracy
Livelihood
Literature
Among them, the Literary Test was the first hurdle, held uniformly at the Gongyuan Examination Hall. Subsequent assessments would take place in specialized Examination Spaces, generated through StarNet, simulating realistic environments and calculations.
Even in the civil exam, knowledge of military strategy was mandatory. To govern a region, one must understand military affairs as well.
Those with excellent scores could be assigned governorship over a celestial (Immortal) city, requiring well-rounded knowledge in every domain—governance, military, commerce, and more.
Of course, the civil exam differed greatly from the military exam, which was specifically designed for those with martial aspirations.
In Great Yi, civil and military careers were equally valued.
Never had there been a notion of "favoring the civil and neglecting the military." Both were honored alike.
Military officers in Great Yi received immense respect, and the populace took pride in joining the army.If enlistment requirements were ever relaxed, billions would rally to the banners overnight. The pool of soldiers was boundless.
This time, the number of participants in the military exam was equal to that of the civil exam.
In the streets, a booming crowd filled every corner.
One after another, scholars and aspiring generals ascended the Heavenly Ladder, making their way to designated examination grounds.
Today, the ladder connected to the fifth level of the Cloud Realm—the Azure Cloud Realm, also called the Azure Cloud Ladder.
To step on this ladder was to tread the path of ascension—an auspicious omen.
Many scholars were already well known throughout Great Yi.
As they stepped onto the Azure Cloud Ladder, they drew the attention and admiration of the crowd.
"Look! That middle-aged scholar—he's Fan Jin. I heard this is his third attempt."
"He narrowly missed the mark twice before, but never gave up. He's been diligently improving, catching up on lost ground. This time, he might just succeed!"
At nearly fifty years old, Fan Jin's persistence in pursuing the imperial exam was deeply admirable, earning him both respect and sympathy.
Just living in Great Yi was already a blessing for scholars like Fan Jin. If one could pass the exam… that was true social ascent, a leap from carp to dragon, opening up endless possibilities.
"Look! The Eight Great Talents have arrived!"
At that moment, a wave of excitement surged through the crowd.
Eight extraordinary young men, elegant and radiant, stepped onto the Azure Cloud Ladder.
"As expected of the Eight Great Talents of Great Yi—each one dashing and brilliant!"
"Tang Bohu's paintings, Zhu Zhishan's calligraphy, Wen Zhengming's poetry and artistry—all famous across the land."
"And there's Cao Xueqin, not only a master of literature but also a novelist—his books are wildly popular among the people!"
The Eight Great Talents of Great Yi were:
Tang Bohu
Zhu Zhishan
Wen Zhengming
Zhou Wenbin
Xu Zhenqing
Zhang Wentao
Cao Xueqin
Li Xunhuan
Each possessed exceptional abilities and was rightly acclaimed as a genius of his generation.
Their names were known throughout Great Yi, and thanks to the StarNet, their fame covered the entire empire.
Anyone involved in literature and learning had heard their names.
With all eight gathered together, a battle of the brightest minds was inevitable.
"With so much talent gathered, Great Yi is about to gain another generation of elite minds," said Su Shi with heartfelt emotion as he looked down from the Azure Cloud Pavilion.
Beside him stood Zhuge Liang, Huang Chengyan, and others.
"Indeed," Huang Chengyan nodded. "As the Emperor has always said: in the Eternal Era, what matters most is talent."
"Talent is the foundation of our rise—the pillar supporting Great Yi's soaring future."
"Every time we discover a qualified city lord candidate, that's one more celestial city we can build."
"The more talent we cultivate, the faster we can expand."
The biggest limiting factor to Great Yi's expansion was still human resources.
Fortunately, Great Yi had rapidly developed an educational system—from basic schools, to academies, to imperial universities.
Scholars could ascend through the academic system, even bypassing the imperial exam by passing rigorous graduation trials in the universities.
Those who succeeded would automatically enter Great Yi's talent pool.
At present, tens of thousands of city lord-level talents were already in reserve—and that number continued to grow every year.
Above the "city lord caliber" talents were the Prime Minister-caliber talents—rare and immeasurably valuable.
"Uncle, have there been any signs of Yueying recently?" Zhuge Liang suddenly asked, glancing at Huang Chengyan with familial affection.
"Still no news," Huang Chengyan replied with a sigh. "You should know, Kongming… the Eternal Era is a rebirth—across merged realms, even echoing the previous epoch."
"We are what we are now only because countless versions of ourselves fused together."
"In name, we are the same. In essence—we have changed."
"Some of us were lucky to be reborn with our loved ones. Others… were scattered by fate."
"Yueying may have been reincarnated somewhere else, in another realm, far away. She might already have a new life, even a new family."
"Perhaps she's no longer the person we once knew. Even if you met again, your life paths might be too different."
"Kongming, it's time to stop waiting."
"Find a good woman. Start a family. Continue your bloodline. That's what matters most—for yourself and your future."
Huang Chengyan had long wanted to say this to Zhuge Liang. Even he no longer held much hope of finding Huang Yueying.
He could only leave it to fate.
Sometimes, not every effort yields a reward.Perhaps Huang Yueying had truly moved on, and trying to interfere now… might do more harm than good.
It wasn't uncommon in this era. Mu Guiying, Cai Yan, and many others had experienced the same.
"Uncle, no need to persuade me," Zhuge Liang smiled. "I've decided to wait a while longer."
"If Yueying has truly chosen a new life, I will quietly wish her well."
"Everyone has the right to choose their own path—just like I chose to follow the Emperor, not Liu Bei."
"It's the same principle."
He had already thought it through. There was no point in dwelling on it—it would only bring sorrow.
"As long as you understand," Huang Chengyan nodded. "I've said what I needed to. How you act is your decision."
"There should be quite a few talented warriors in the military exam as well," Su Shi said with a grin.
"Some of them might even be future generals of new Great Yi legions."
Many renowned warriors from Great Yi had entered the military exam.
Some came from military families. Others were born with innate talent for leading troops.
There were even father-son pairs from military clans taking the exam together.
While they chatted, the literary exam in the Gongyuan had already begun.
The essay topic this time was a single word: "People."
With "people" as the prompt, candidates were to write a persuasive essay.
Interpretation was key.
It could be broad or narrow, philosophical or practical.
It all depended on one's insight and reasoning.
The imperial exam was both short and long—the process all took place within StarNet.
But just as the exam was proceeding, suddenly—a celestial star in the sky flared without warning.
A streak of divine light shot downward and pierced the examination grounds.
"Zodiac Divine Light!"
"It landed in the military exam sector—someone has touched the Zodiac inheritance!"
"A new Zodiac Guardian has been born!"
Zhuge Liang and the others exchanged glances, excitement flashing in their eyes.