Chapter 67: High School Entrance Examination

On the day of the college entrance exam, Chen Xinglan rushed over from Chixia Academy specifically to support his son.

Unlike his parents, Chen Mobai appeared completely relaxed as he calmly walked into the examination hall, carrying his admission ticket and stationery box. Ever since he mastered his divine sense, he had been reviewing his textbooks and managed to grasp all the material within two months. While he hadn't fully assimilated everything, he had at least thoroughly understood all the key concepts. When faced with a question, he could effortlessly retrieve the relevant information from his memory.

The first morning was dedicated to the Spellcraft exam. Chen Mobai completed the paper smoothly from start to finish, only hesitating slightly on the final question. This challenging question involved concepts beyond the high school curriculum, but Chen Mobai was prepared. Using his extensive knowledge, he deduced the missing elements of the spell, completing it. While his answer might not have been the standard solution, he managed to fill every blank space on the page. While students around him furrowed their brows in frustration, he calmly submitted his paper and exited the room.

The afternoon was for the Alchemy exam. Although he hadn't meticulously studied this subject, his interactions with Qing Nu had provided him with some knowledge beyond the textbooks. After writing down everything he knew on the paper, he stopped writing and waited patiently for the submission bell.

The next morning featured the Artifact Crafting exam. He drew a blank on the final comprehensive question and could only do his best to fill in what he could.

Finally, there was the Array Formation exam. Chen Mobai smoothly completed the penultimate question before reviewing the final comprehensive question with a sense of hopeful anticipation. After going through three papers, he had understood the pattern: the last comprehensive question always tested knowledge beyond the textbook, designed to challenge those aiming for top scores.

Each paper was worth 100 points. Based on previous years' admission thresholds, a score of 330 or higher typically qualified candidates to apply for the Ten Great Academies and take their entrance exams. Last year, admission to the Four Great Daoist Temples required a score of 350. However, these scores often fluctuated depending on the number of applicants.

When Chen Mobai finished reading the final comprehensive question on the Array Formation paper, his expression immediately brightened with surprise and delight.

"10. Please provide at least two methods to repair the following incomplete Sea-Covering Array disc. Then, list the functions of the five Sea-Covering Array flags and arrange them in chronological order to form a complete array as depicted in Diagram 1. (This question is worth 20 points; incorrect answers will not be penalized.)"

"If I can score over 90 on this subject, I definitely have to treat Teacher Chan to a meal," he thought. Muttering to himself, Chen Mobai took out his ruler. Applying his understanding of the Green Water Array to the Sea-Covering Array, he first completed the entire array's drawing, then proceeded to solve the problem based on the diagram.

While array formations may vary, their core principles remain consistent. The Sea-Covering Array, like the Green Water Array, was a second-tier formation rooted in water veins. Chen Mobai recalled the functions of the Green Water Array flags and then filled in the corresponding Sea-Covering Array flag names provided in the diagram. Finally, for the array disc repair methods, he had previously worked on the Green Water Grand Array. To ensure he hadn't made any mistakes, he had even looked up similar solutions online and consulted Chan Si. Chen Mobai was a cautious person, always preparing for potential issues. Fearing that the Green Water Grand Array might malfunction again, he had memorized more than two methods for repairing grand arrays. Referring to the incomplete Sea-Covering Array disc presented in the question, Chen Mobai selected the two most suitable repair methods from his memory and confidently wrote them down.

This array formation paper took him the longest to complete and was the most mentally demanding. He only just managed to finish it five minutes before the submission bell. He then used his divine sense to review his answers one last time before finally putting down his pen with a sigh of relief.

"Phew! That's about 15 extra points I've snagged," he thought. Chen Mobai felt reasonably confident about the final comprehensive question on the Array Formation paper. However, the Green Water Array originated from the Tianhe Realm, and while he had understood it using knowledge from Diyuan Star with Chan Si's help, it still differed from the Sea-Covering Array. He would be very satisfied to get 15 out of 20 points.

Of the four papers, 320 points covered textbook knowledge, which he was confident he could ace. The final comprehensive question on the Artifact Crafting paper was a complete mystery, so he could only fill in what he could. For the Spellcraft and Alchemy papers, he believed he could pick up extra points on the smaller questions. If he performed exceptionally well, he might just scrape by with 350 points, enough to qualify for the entrance exam of the Four Great Daoist Temples.

For cultivators who had mastered divine sense, they could estimate their scores with near accuracy the moment they finished an exam. Chen Mobai was no different. However, he refrained from checking his answers, preferring to hold onto a glimmer of hope so as not to spoil his entire vacation.

"We're free!""It's finally over!""To hell with the Sea-Covering Array..."

After the college entrance exam concluded, various reactions unfolded across Immortal Sect Fifth High School. Chen Mobai leaned against a corridor pillar, observing the wildly fluctuating emotions of his classmates—their laughter, shouts, and curses—and suddenly felt a sense of detachment. Since mastering his divine sense, these emotions had become nourishment for it, keeping him perpetually calm but also gradually eroding his capacity for the ordinary joys, angers, sorrows, and delights of common people.

Was this what cultivation truly entailed? Suddenly, Chen Mobai understood why cultivators with higher cultivation levels tended to avoid public life. Yet, he felt that something was amiss. If cultivation stripped one of their humanity, what was the point of becoming an immortal? Or did becoming an immortal truly mean forsaking earthly sustenance and worldly attachments?

As he pondered, a pair of eyes landed on him. Chen Mobai looked up to see Song Zheng. They exchanged nods, then simultaneously left the boisterous classroom and headed for the outdoor sports field.

"You've just mastered divine sense, so it's natural to feel a bit unaccustomed. Yan Bingxuan and I, to avoid this very feeling, simply chose to act a bit aloof and minimize our interactions with you all." Song Zheng explained, revealing that it wasn't just Chen Mobai experiencing this; both he and Yan Bingxuan felt the same.

"Does cultivation ultimately lead to solitude?" Chen Mobai asked.

"My teacher says most cultivators in the Immortal Sect focus on cultivating within the mundane world. Those who wish to become hermits usually end up simply dying of old age while meditating."

Chen Mobai chuckled at Song Zheng's words. However, considering Diyuan Star's scarce resources and the spirit veins monopolized by the Immortal Sect, seeking seclusion on a remote mountain without a supply of spiritual energy would indeed likely lead to such an end.

"Which of the Ten Great Academies will you choose?" Song Zheng asked.

"Oh, are you that confident in me?" Chen Mobai looked puzzled; he wasn't particularly close to Song Zheng.

"Teacher said you often consult him about spells. If you're willing, we could address each other as fellow disciples. If we end up at the same academy, we could look out for each other."

"Isn't your goal the Four Great Daoist Temples?"

"I only managed to answer the final comprehensive question on the Spellcraft paper, so my total score might not reach 350." As he said this, Song Zheng, usually so proud, suddenly sighed, revealing a dejected expression Chen Mobai had never witnessed.

"I'll probably choose Chunyang Academy and Taiyuan Academy; I just don't know if either will accept me." Chen Mobai also spoke, adding that even though he wasn't close to Song Zheng, old man Ding had been very kind to him.

"My three choices are Taiyuan Academy, Ziran Academy, and Tianshu Academy. I hope we can both get into Taiyuan Academy."