I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 51 Innocent Heart
"Let me do it."

A round-faced, chubby man stepped forward. His full name was Zhao Kuan. "I want to know, who among you wants to follow me down this path?"

"Brother Zhao, what's your explanation?"

A tall, thin man asked, "This gentleman's name is Feng Yi."

Zhao Kuan said, "Apart from Brother Xue, I don't owe anyone any favors."

I'm willing to step into the minefield, but I can't be a scapegoat for nothing.

Feng Yi sneered, "I understand. You mean you can't just stand in front for nothing."

Anyone who wants to take advantage of you must pay for the risks you take.

"That's what it means."

Zhao Kuan didn't hide anything.

Feng Yi said, "If you really succeed in wading through the water, everyone will definitely follow."

There were still seventy-three people present, excluding Brother Xue who had made great contributions.

"If someone gives you two spirit stones, you'll become incredibly rich."

The round-faced fat man was still hesitating.

A thin boy said, "Give me a spirit stone each, and I'll go through the lightning."

Xue Xiang had a deep impression of this person. He was the youngest among them. He had heard Wei Wendao say that this boy's real name was Huang Qun and that his family was poor.

Zhao Kuan was speechless.

Huang Qun moved first. He was extremely fast, and with a few leaps, he arrived in the rune-refining array.

He chanted incantations, urging the refining incantation, and soon, the literary energy emanating from his body slowly flowed into his body.

Before long, rays of clear light emanated from his body, slowly coalescing into a wisp of azure rainbow light.

"It's done, it's done."

With a whoosh, the crowd surged forward.

In an instant, more than twenty inscription refining arrays were filled with people, followed by a long queue of others.

Those who entered the formation urged their attacks, and in an instant, a bright light burst forth, and chaotic light filled the sea.

"It can't be that simple."

Lu Weimin said in a low voice.

"If we could pass the test simply by refining literary energy, what would be the point of this military dependents' village?"

"No one can say for sure, but perhaps the test is about being bold and direct."

"Brother Xue, what do you think?"

"I opened my eyes wide to look."

Xue Xiang made a joke, then moved over to Village Chief Han and asked him about the situation in the other villages.

The current drought is clearly not just a problem for the military dependents' village.

Village Chief Han took out a stone and sketched a rough outline on the ground.

According to Village Chief Han, to his knowledge, there are eight other villages besides the military dependents' village.

The villages are separated by distances, some as far as seven or eight miles, others as close as four or five miles, and all are suffering from drought.

Where is the nearest water source?

“In the mountains, there are only mountain springs, but you can’t find the source. The water is just a trickle and the flow is slow, so it’s impossible to use it for irrigation.”

Xue Xiang frowned; this road was also blocked.

"not good!"

Suddenly a shout was heard.

Xue Xiang looked up and saw that the literary energy Huang Qun had extracted suddenly collapsed, and in a flash, he disappeared.

Those who were still sitting in the formation practicing their skills all had their expressions change drastically.

Someone tried to stop the extraction of spiritual energy, but immediately disappeared.

Some people struggled to hold on, but after a hundred breaths, they too vanished into thin air.

Those in line were terrified and hurriedly moved away.

The survivors all had somber expressions.

The ruthlessness of the third trial, which readily eliminates the test takers, cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.

"When living between heaven and earth, one should act according to one's true nature. The people in military dependents' villages are struggling to make ends meet. We, as scholars, study the classics, but are we only doing it for our own petty gains?"
I have come to ask this question with my own life; though I have failed, I have no regrets!

Wei Wendao unleashed all his literary talent with both hands and recited with great emotion, "The brush falls, startling the wind and stirring the wilderness; the poem is completed, ten thousand trees pierce the sky. Do not speak of the world's hunger and cold; with a single thought, the golden autumn surpasses all other flowers."

Suddenly, the earth shook, and from the withered trees and soil around the military dependents' village, green seedlings sprouted. The seedlings grew rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into large trees laden with fruit.

Hundreds of lush fruit trees are laden with bright red peaches, golden pears, and golden apples...

As the tree was completed, Wei Wendao's literary energy was exhausted, and he collapsed, only to be supported by Xue Xiang.

Suddenly, hundreds of large trees laden with fruit appeared along the village, stunning the villagers. Wei Wendao weakly called out to pick the fruit.

Xue Xiang shouted in support, but the villagers remained unmoved.

It wasn't until Village Chief Han shouted loudly that the villagers rushed out like madmen.

In an instant, a group of villagers were busy picking fruit by carrying baskets and crossing the nets.

The greedy children would pick one and put it in their mouths, immediately biting into the sweet juice, their faces beaming with joy.

In an instant, the entire military dependents' village was transformed into a sea of ​​joy.

Village Chief Han was also very pleased.

Suddenly, a whirlwind arose in the arena.

Everyone looked closely and saw that the whirlwind was formed from the gathering of literary energy. The whirlwind swept up Wei Wendao and plunged him directly into the literary refining array.

The whirlwind transformed into a magical energy, penetrating entirely into his body.

Wei Wendao muttered incantations, and after a while, a clear light spread out, and a wisp of black smoke swirled around Wei Wendao.

"Black literary aura, heavens! He's done it!"

"Well done, Wei Wendao! With the heart of a child, he deserves this reward."

Congratulations, Brother Wei.

"........."

Inside the text-refining formation, Wei Wendao bowed to everyone, and finally, he bowed deeply to Xue Xiang.

With a whoosh, a beam of auspicious light swept over Wei Wendao, and he vanished without a trace.

Wei Wendao is the first person to date to successfully extract literary energy in front of others.

The encouragement the people received was simply unimaginable.

With Wei Wendao setting an example, everyone else found their direction.

No one was thinking about grand narratives; a poem evoked the image of rushing rivers that benefited the villages.

After all, Bai Qi's tragic state was still fresh in everyone's mind.

After wishing each other well, everyone went their separate ways.

Some people went to other villages to plant fruit trees.

Some people started composing poems on the spot, or digging deep wells, or growing an acre or two of rice or wheat.

Whether it was due to the lack of Wei Wendao's pure sincerity or his eagerness for quick success, few people gained literary energy, while Tao Tao was expelled from the trial realm.

Time passed slowly, and as the setting sun breathed its last breath, only Xue Xiang remained among the trial participants outside the military dependents' village.

Village Chief Han remained, holding a peach and biting into it, the juice spilling out and making Xue Xiang's throat itch.

Perhaps because the fruit was so precious, Village Chief Han ultimately didn't offer one to Xue Xiang to try.

"Village chief, could you spare one for me?"

Xue Xiang shamelessly begged for it.

Village Chief Han waved his hand, "You can't eat this fruit?"

"Why can't we eat it?"

"These fruits are... too few. To be honest, it's been many years since I've tasted anything this delicious. The villagers feel the same way; we really can't bear to part with them."

"I've long heard that the villagers of the military dependents' village are simple and honest. Surely they wouldn't be reluctant to part with a single fruit? I guess this fruit is a manifestation of literary energy, meant for the people of the village to eat, but not for the trial participants, is that right?"

Village Chief Han was stunned, staring blankly at Xue Xiang.

“The villagers can’t see us at all. They only follow us out because you’re talking. You’re telling them to go back to the village just so we don’t realize the villagers can’t see us.”

"This old man, this old man doesn't know what you're talking about?"

“After the fruit trees sprouted, I called the villagers to eat the fruit, but they didn’t react at all. But when you call, they all move. This is not because you have high prestige, but because they can’t hear me either.”

But isn't it strange that you can see and hear both?

"what do you want to say in the end?"

Village Chief Han stood up, leaning on his cane.

"I just want to verify my guess, Senior Han Gu."

(End of this chapter)