Chapter 46: The Beginning of the Mansion Examination

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

When the third day arrived, a subtle undercurrent stirred within the Great Zhou City. The eyes of numerous factions simultaneously turned towards the Great Zhou Prefecture.

They all knew that today was the Prefecture Examination for the Great Zhou Prefecture.

Naturally, a mere prefecture examination wouldn't attract such widespread attention, but this one concerned the ongoing struggle between the Great Zhou Royal Family and the Qi King's Residence.

Everyone understood that the Qi King's Residence had coveted the Great Zhou Prefecture for years, using various methods to infiltrate it, and their efforts were now bearing fruit. If Class Yi could once again secure first place in this year's Prefecture Examination, then Xu Hong, representing the Qi King's Residence, might replace Chu Tianyang as the head of the Great Zhou Prefecture.

In that case, the Great Zhou Prefecture might subtly transform into the Great Qi Prefecture.

This would be a significant blow to the Royal Family, as it would indicate that the Qi King's Residence was gradually gaining the upper hand in their struggle. This would undoubtedly sway some wavering factions, prompting them to align with the Qi King's Residence and consequently leading to the decline of the Royal Family.

Therefore, this Great Zhou Prefecture Examination even had the potential to shake the Royal Family's standing.

Its importance was self-evident.

Great Zhou Prefecture, Class Jia.

When Zhou Yuan stepped into Class Jia again, he immediately saw the numerous students in Class Jia looking at him, and then he was bewildered by the synchronized applause.

“What are you all doing?” Zhou Yuan asked, puzzled.

Su Youwei, Song Qiushui, and Yang Zai approached him with smiles. They said, “Aren’t we thanking you? If you hadn't won an extra hour of Jade Spirit Waterfall cultivation time for us from Class Yi, our Class Jia would have been in a precarious position for this Prefecture Examination.”

Zhou Yuan smiled upon hearing this, saying, “It seems you've all made significant progress during this time, haven't you?”

“All three of us have opened our Sixth Meridian,” Su Youwei said with a slight smile, pursing her lips.

Yang Zai chuckled too. “Thanks to that extra Jade Spirit Waterfall cultivation time; otherwise, it probably would have taken us another month to open our Sixth Meridian.”

Zhou Yuan was somewhat surprised as well. It seemed that extra hour of Jade Spirit Waterfall cultivation time had indeed been quite beneficial.

“What about Class Yi? They only had half an hour of Jade Spirit Waterfall cultivation time left, so I suppose their progress wasn't much over the past two months?” Zhou Yuan asked with interest.

Song Qiushui pondered for a moment, then said, “The general atmosphere in Class Yi has indeed been somewhat low recently, and there's considerable resentment towards Qi Yue.”

After all, Class Yi's two hours of Jade Spirit Waterfall cultivation time were abruptly lost by Qi Yue, three-quarters of it. How could they tolerate such a huge disparity? Even though they dared not speak up due to Qi Yue's status, grievances were inevitable.

“If you think Class Yi's strength has declined because they lost that hour and a half, then you are gravely mistaken.” Just as they were speaking, a voice suddenly reached them.

Zhou Yuan and the others looked over and saw Chu Tianyang walking towards them, hands clasped behind his back, his face serious.

“Headmaster!” everyone saluted.

Chu Tianyang waved his hand, glanced at Zhou Yuan, and slowly said, “As far as I know, over the past two months, Qi Yue secretly took the Class Yi students who will participate in the Prefecture Examination to the Qi King's Residence.”

“Oh?” Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed upon hearing this. He asked, “He intends to use the resources of the Qi King's Residence to fully train them?”

Chu Tianyang nodded with a grim expression. Qi Yue's actions were truly distasteful, but there was nothing anyone could say, as how individuals cultivated was their own business.

The Qi King's Residence was immensely wealthy, so training a few individuals was very simple for them.

However, Qi Yue's actions made the other Class Yi students very dissatisfied, feeling it was unfair. Thus, there had been many complaints about Qi Yue in Class Yi recently, but they were all forcibly suppressed by Xu Hong.

“So, don't assume that opening your Sixth Meridian means you can be complacent. Qi Yue has now reached the Seventh Meridian!” Chu Tianyang said sternly.

The many Class Jia students also fell silent, worry appearing in their eyes. Qi Yue's pressure on their Class Jia was simply too great. Although Zhou Yuan had defeated Qi Yue once in the Jade Spirit Waterfall, that was merely a contest with many restrictions. The current Prefecture Examination, however, required genuine strength.

Everyone felt uneasy. Then, some gazes simultaneously turned to Zhou Yuan. After all, in the past year, Zhou Yuan was the only one who had managed to get the better of Qi Yue. Therefore, they naturally held some expectations for Zhou Yuan.

“Headmaster, don't worry. I'll handle Qi Yue,” Zhou Yuan looked at Chu Tianyang, smiling as he spoke.

Chu Tianyang nodded, though a hint of worry remained in his eyes. After all, this time it was no longer a contest like the one in the Jade Spirit Waterfall.

However, he understood that he shouldn't overly dampen everyone's morale at this moment. He immediately waved his hand and said, “If you're ready, follow me to the Examination Platform.”

As his voice faded, he turned and left. Behind him, Zhou Yuan, Su Youwei, and the rest of the Class Jia students surged to follow.

The Examination Platform was located in the Northern Courtyard of the Great Zhou Prefecture.

A vast square stretched out, and within it were five elevated platforms of varying heights. These platforms were known as the Examination Platforms.

By this time, the area around the square was already teeming with people. Almost all students from the Great Zhou Prefecture had gathered here, and even many residents from Great Zhou City had come to watch.

Deafening sounds echoed between heaven and earth.

Zhou Yuan and the other Class Jia students arrived in the square. His gaze swept over the five elevated platforms, finally settling on the highest one, which was called the Head of Classes Platform.

Every year, the class that secured first place in the Prefecture Examination could hoist their class flag there.

Currently, a flag proudly fluttered atop the Head of Classes Platform. Emblazoned on the flag was a large character: “Yi” (乙).

“Our Class Jia has lost that Head of Classes Platform for two years now,” Chu Tianyang sighed quietly beside him. This had almost become a source of pain for all Class Jia students, as it was a glory that rightfully belonged to them, yet Class Yi had held it for the past two years, making their title as the leading class ring hollow.

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips, his eyes sharp. If Class Yi still intended to dominate the Head of Classes Platform in this year's Prefecture Examination, they would first have to contend with Zhou Yuan's fists.

As the sun rose higher, the crowd around the Examination Platforms grew, and the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

“The King and Queen have arrived!”

Suddenly, a loud announcement resounded. At the central Examination Platform, Zhou Qing, Qin Yu, and Yao Yao appeared, and then took their seats on the elevated platform.

This Prefecture Examination was of great importance, so even Zhou Qing could not sit still and came in person.

“The Qi King has arrived!”

Soon after Zhou Qing's arrival, another loud announcement rang out. From another direction, a group of people emerged under the gaze of countless eyes.

Zhou Yuan stared at the front of the group. There, a middle-aged man in a python robe could be seen. He strode with the imposing gait of a dragon, his face stern, his eyes gleaming with sharp light. An aura of oppressive power emanated from him, making people afraid to meet his gaze.

“Qi King, Qi Yuan…” Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed as he observed the man. This man was the Great Zhou's greatest bane, and also the hidden stake planted by the Great Wu in their kingdom.

The Qi King also possessed the strength of the Primordial Realm, making him one of the top experts in the Great Zhou.

“It seems the Qi King attaches great importance to today's Prefecture Examination as well,” Chu Tianyang said coldly.

On the elevated platform, Qi Yuan cupped his hands with a smile towards Zhou Qing, but did not perform the bow of a subject.

Zhou Qing's expression remained unchanged; he merely gave a slight nod. The tense relationship between the Royal Family and the Qi King's Residence was evident.

Boom! Boom!

With the appearance of Zhou Qing and Qi Yuan, the atmosphere in the square reached its peak intensity. Immediately after, the resounding chime of a bell echoed loudly, reverberating throughout the heavens and earth.

“The Prefecture Examination begins!”