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Chapter 441: Chapter 441: The Civil Test

However, the rules made this supposedly fair test appear very unfair. The test\'s judgment rested solely in the hands of Princess Ling\'er.

On a floating island within Princess Ling\'er\'s residence, Ling\'er sat inside a palace accompanied by Nie Qingqing, looking out at four tables set up outside.

Standing before the four tables were the participants of this civil test. All the necessary writing materials—brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones—were already in place.

The four men stood in front of their respective tables.

"Alright, you have one hour. It\'s all up to your luck now!" Nie Qingqing announced, casting a deep glance at Zhong Shan, who stood at the far end.

Xiaoyao Hou appeared particularly excited this time, while Zhao Tiansha and Shao Feihou were both brimming with confidence. Zhong Shan wore a faint smile.

Zhao Tiansha and Shao Feihou, full of confidence, didn\'t attempt any tricks. They picked up the paper from their tables, spread it out, dipped their brushes in ink, and began writing their essays on the spot.

By writing their essays on the spot, they demonstrated their confidence, their real abilities, and their sincere intentions.

They relied entirely on their true skills!

Shao Feihou occasionally paused to think and write, fully focused, his eyes showing his serious dedication.

Zhao Tiansha, as he wrote, had a red flame emblem on his forehead that pulsed rhythmically. Each pulse coincided precisely with a stroke of his brush.

The two were deeply engrossed in their writing, while at either end of the line, Zhong Shan and Xiaoyao Hou each brought their own items.

Xiaoyao Hou produced a scroll of paper, tied with a thin cord that seemed to have many seals and restrictions locking it, containing its energy. He held the scroll with great confidence. This was an article written by the Emperor himself—how could anyone compete with that? Once he untied it, it would surely be an earth-shattering revelation, securing his victory. The only downside was the two competitors who decided to write their essays on the spot, implicitly questioning the authenticity of his piece.

However, he felt reassured seeing Zhong Shan on the other end also bringing his own item.

Glancing at Zhong Shan, Xiaoyao Hou showed a hint of disdain. The new top scholar of the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty? So what? No matter how well he wrote, could it surpass the Emperor\'s writing? When I win, I\'ll make sure you suffer!

Zhong Shan, unconcerned with the others, gently placed a small wooden box on his table, waiting for the hour to pass.

The palace was equipped with restrictions to prevent anyone from overhearing Nie Qingqing and Tian Ling\'er\'s conversation.

"Sister, I understand the martial test, where the winner is determined by defeating the opponent. But for the civil test, I don\'t quite understand. How do you judge the essays?" Tian Ling\'er asked Nie Qingqing, feeling puzzled.

"The civil test? Hehe, it\'s all up to your preference. Since you\'re the judge, whoever you say is first will be first, and no one can dispute it. Besides, the best essays often trigger some extraordinary reactions," Nie Qingqing explained.

"Extraordinary reactions?" Tian Ling\'er asked, confused.

"Of course. Take the recent imperial exams in the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty, for example..." Nie Qingqing began to explain.

"What? Zhong Shan is that amazing? His essay could summon rolling thunder? Anger the heavens?" Tian Ling\'er covered her mouth in shock.

"Indeed!" Nie Qingqing confirmed with a smile, subtly supporting Zhong Shan.

"But what is he doing?" Tian Ling\'er pointed at Zhong Shan in the distance.

Zhong Shan, unlike the others, didn\'t start writing immediately. Instead, he calmly placed a small wooden box on his table and waited patiently. The box, plain and unadorned, sat silently as Zhong Shan stood beside it, a slight smile on his face, exuding confidence and mystery.

From a distance, Zhong Shan appeared calm, not picking up his brush but instead placing a small wooden box on his table, indicating that he had already prepared his essay.

"He must have written it beforehand. The Emperor set the rules for the civil test to allow essays to be written days in advance. Zhong Shan likely has a lot to say, so he wrote it in advance," Nie Qingqing speculated, also puzzled.

"Oh!" Tian Ling\'er nodded absentmindedly.

Tian Ling\'er then surveyed the four participants. Her eyes showed distaste when looking at Xiaoyao Hou, excitement when seeing Zhao Tiansha, although less than a month ago. She felt indifferent towards Shao Feihou, recognizing his excellence but lacking any romantic feelings. Finally, her gaze landed on Zhong Shan, and her emotions became extremely complicated.

The hour passed quickly.

Zhao Tiansha was the first to finish his essay.

"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Like a volcanic eruption, a massive flame shot up from Zhao Tiansha\'s paper, soaring into the sky, turning the clouds red as if burned by the fiery spectacle. The display was so powerful that it made viewers feel a rush of excitement and passion.

Tian Ling\'er felt a surge of happiness for her most admired senior brother, who could write such a powerful essay.

As the flames gradually dissipated, the paper still glowed with a faint red light, exuding an extraordinary aura.

At that moment, Shao Feihou also completed his writing.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp..." From Shao Feihou\'s paper came the crisp sound of countless birds singing. The Vermilion Bird, which was feeding on sacred fire grains, raised its head in confusion. Where did these birds come from?

A delightful fragrance wafted from Shao Feihou\'s paper, and a beautiful jasmine flower emerged from the page, followed by more flowers and the silhouettes of thousands of birds flying among the blooms.

Birdsong and floral fragrances created a magnificent and gentle scene, incredibly beautiful and magical. This vision lasted for twenty breaths before fading away.

Shao Feihou looked at his work with satisfaction. From afar, Nie Qingqing saw it and was astonished. Shao Feihou hadn\'t written anything; instead, he had drawn a stunning portrait of Tian Ling\'er, capturing her beauty perfectly.

The picture was exquisite, with birds and flowers adding to its charm, making the fragrance almost tangible.

Tian Ling\'er was already gaping in amazement. Earlier, Nie Qingqing had described the imperial exams in the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty, making her yearn to witness such things. Seeing the volcanic eruption from Zhao Tiansha and the birds and flowers from Shao Feihou\'s brush was a first for her. Both pieces were unprecedented and magnificent.

This placed the two men\'s works at the peak, thanks to the visions they conjured.

"Hehe, Zhong Shan, what about yours?" Xiaoyao Hou sneered from the side.

"Xiaoyao Hou, please," Zhong Shan replied calmly.

The other two also turned their attention to Xiaoyao Hou and Zhong Shan.

"Fine, let me show you what a real masterpiece looks like, haha!" Xiaoyao Hou said arrogantly.

He carefully untied the cord from his scroll and began to unroll it.

"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

As the scroll opened, an endless shower of golden sand erupted from it, soaring into the sky before sprinkling down to the ground. A beam of yellow light, like a pillar supporting the heavens, illuminated the sky, revealing countless visions—majestic mountains, flying dragons and phoenixes, immortal beings enjoying themselves, and divine music echoing through the air.

The scene was grand and awe-inspiring, immediately drawing everyone\'s attention and admiration. Xiaoyao Hou\'s confidence grew as he saw the reactions.

Finally, it was Zhong Shan\'s turn. The tension was palpable as all eyes turned towards him, curious about what he had prepared.

The entire princess\'s residence was suddenly immersed in a grand, sacred illusion. Everyone within the residence stopped whatever they were doing, entranced by the sudden transformation of the surroundings.

It was breathtaking! Absolutely beautiful!

Everyone felt as if they were in a dream. This magical scene lasted for nearly half an incense stick\'s time.

When the illusion finally dissipated, the people remained dazed, deeply immersed in the experience.

It was incredibly powerful! This essay had caused such an astonishing change upon being unrolled, immediately overshadowing the previous two essays.

Tian Ling\'er and Nie Qingqing were both in awe, marveling at the beauty of it all. Who could write such an earth-shattering essay?

Xiaoyao Hou? Both women felt a wave of disdain. It couldn\'t possibly be him. Only one person could write such a masterpiece—the Great Li Emperor, Nie Fancheng!

Xiaoyao Hou was immensely proud, looking extremely satisfied with the result. He then turned to Zhong Shan.

"Alright, Zhong Shan, it\'s your turn!" Xiaoyao Hou called out.

Everyone\'s eyes turned to Zhong Shan.

They had all gathered information about Zhong Shan, knowing his reputation for writing pieces that could shake the heavens and cause thunder to strike. Just how powerful was his writing? Everyone was eager to find out.

But could it be stronger than the Great Li Emperor\'s?

Xiaoyao Hou sneered, Shao Feihou looked serious, and Zhao Tiansha cast a cold glance—all focused on Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan took a deep breath and gently opened the small wooden box.

Everyone steeled themselves, wary of what might emerge, fearing that Zhong Shan\'s essay could also enchant their minds.

The box opened, but no light or spectacle emerged. It was utterly ordinary.

Because it was so ordinary, everyone felt even more on edge, cautious and wary. After all, no one underestimated Zhong Shan after observing him for the past two months.

Slowly, Zhong Shan lifted a book from the small wooden box. It was an unassuming, thick book.

"Ling\'er, this is what I\'ve been working on these past few days," Zhong Shan said.

When Zhong Shan finished speaking, everyone was momentarily stunned. That was it?

Was that all? No celestial phenomenon? No illusions? Just an ordinary book? Everyone felt a sense of confusion—Zhong Shan\'s submission seemed too plain. Did he think that writing more would surpass these earth-shattering essays?

A book?

"Present it!" Nie Qingqing ordered.

Four servants quickly brought the four submissions into the palace for Tian Ling\'er to judge personally.

Once the essays were inside the palace, Nie Qingqing and Tian Ling\'er immediately focused on Zhong Shan\'s submission.

A literary prodigy capable of invoking the heavens? It didn\'t seem like Zhong Shan would produce anything less than extraordinary. But what was going on now? Why was there no extraordinary phenomenon at all?

Tian Ling\'er and Nie Qingqing were both perplexed, scrutinizing the simple book that Zhong Shan had presented. Was there something hidden within its pages that they couldn\'t see at a glance?