In the Imperial Examination Hall, Chen Xu closed his eyes.

Purple smoke rose from the paper in front of him, shining brightly, causing astonishment throughout the venue.

Or perhaps not just the venue; a purple smoke from an essay should shake the entire world.

But Chen Xu paid no mind to the mystical phenomena before him.

Because at this moment, his originally calm Sea of Literature suddenly surged with turbulent waves.

In the Sea of Literature, the inkstone boat, which had always drifted with the waves, suddenly expanded in the rolling waves, growing out of thin air.

One zhang, two zhang... five zhang, ten zhang!

The inkstone, like a small boat, transformed into a proper and broad vessel.

At the bow, the dragon keel waterwheel stood erect like a dragon's head.

At the stern, there emerged a half-real, half-illusory figure at an unknown time.

The figure wore a straw hat and held a sickle, leaning on a hoe.

His back was slightly hunched, his face full of ravines and wrinkles.

At first glance, he was clearly just an ordinary old farmer.

Why did the figure of an old farmer appear in Chen Xu's Sea of Literature?

Ah, this is the old farmer from the poem "Pity the Farmer".

Once 'Strategy to Suppress the Locust Demon' was completed, Chen Xu's Sea of Literature surged, Literary Qi greatly increased, and at the same time, the first Poetry Spirit finally formed.

It was not the Knight Chen Xu had longed for, but the old farmer from "Pity the Farmer"!

The old farmer stood at the stern, his back hunched, face weathered.

At first glance, he seemed so ordinary and small.

Yet when he stood with his hoe at the stern, the once tumultuous Sea of Literature instantly calmed.

Boom!

The ink boat descended from the waves to the water's surface.

A sail rose high in the middle, catching the whistling wind, accelerating toward the opposite shore of the Sea of Literature.

That opposite shore, with contours as grand as mountains and the starry sky, faintly emerged.

Though those vague contours vanished into the heavy mist momentarily, this fleeting glimpse provided the ink boat in Chen Xu's Sea of Literature with a direction.

No longer would it drift aimlessly as before.

The old farmer stood silently at the stern, gazing into the distance.

He was no helmsman, and he did not appear strong, but the power he possessed was as serene as a deep ocean, unfathomable.

This Poetry Spirit was definitely not as simple as it seemed!

Chen Xu keenly sensed all the changes in the Sea of Literature, and the excitement in his heart settled down.

He felt a wondrous sense of control.

Integrating his Divine Thought into the Sea of Literature, all changes felt as clear as wind rustling in his chest.

In the center of the ink boat, the ink pool remained, and the previously colorless Literary Qi was now faintly glowing with a clear light.

This was Literary Qi transforming!

Chen Xu had yet to officially achieve the rank of Scholar, but his Literary Qi was already transforming on its own.

Clearly, it wouldn't be long before Chen Xu's Literary Qi completed its transformation, even if his rank didn't achieve the title.

However, since his essay could produce purple smoke, how could Chen Xu not succeed in gaining his title?

It was certain that not only would he achieve the rank of Scholar, but the position of Top Scholar was definitely within his grasp. If he couldn't achieve it, who could? Who dared?

All the changes in the Sea of Literature happened in an instant.

In the Imperial Examination Hall, the shocked people finally reacted.

The first to be overjoyed was Cui Yunqi.

He looked up at the sky, watching the rising purple smoke, his expression changing from dazed to doubtful, then discarding doubt and releasing affirmation.

Finally, there was immense confidence and joy.

"It's Brother Chen, it must be Brother Chen! Otherwise, how could purple smoke rise in the examination hall?"

"An essay producing purple smoke, truly befitting Brother Chen. I hardly dare to imagine what kind of earth-shattering creation could cause purple smoke to rise.

At first, it produces purple smoke, which is probably... could it be... could it be a work capable of changing the heavens and earth?"

Cui Yunqi murmured, his emotions fluctuating again, producing various changes.

He was immensely proud, even without an audience, feeling a sense of self-admiration.

But in an instant, Cui Yunqi worried again.

A work capable of changing the heavens and earth!

Such a work, though a rare marvel seen once in a century, no matter how good, might not please everyone in the higher circles.

After all, it's at a "change the heavens and earth" level.

Producing purple smoke for an essay is impressive, but if it truly changes the heavens and earth, would the heavens and earth being changed and replaced be happy?

Of course, all of this might just be Cui Yunqi overthinking.

He sat in his examination cell, watching the wisp of purple smoke.

Until the sky above the examination hall suddenly echoed with a leisurely bell chime.

Dong—

The Heaven-Equalizing Bell sounded!

An essay producing purple smoke caused the Heaven-Equalizing Bell to resonate, chiming leisurely at this moment.

This was somewhat similar to the Bookworm striking the bell in the previous exam Chen Xu had attended.

On the Observatory, meanwhile, there came the sound of laughter:

"Good, wonderful! An essay producing purple smoke, the Heaven-Equalizing Bell ringing in harmony; this signifies the birth of a literary spirit, a selection by the heavens and earth.

Jichuan County's Chen Xu, you may come up.

You are already the Top Scholar of this provincial exam; you need not take any more exams.

Clerks, please collect the papers. I must personally present this purple smoke thesis to Your Majesty and record it in the Heaven-Aligning Academy."

This was the voice of the chief examiner, Feng Xing!

Immediately, there was another uproar in the entire examination hall.

Feng Xing's words named Chen Xu directly.

Everyone in the examination venue finally confirmed that the purple smoke rising above the examination hall was indeed because someone had created an extraordinary essay.

And the writer of the essay was indeed Chen Xu.

The uproar was quickly suppressed, as patrolling soldiers shouted, "Silence! Silence!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Right at this moment, familiar sounding clacks were heard.

The collection time finally arrived.

"Collect the papers, collect the papers, everyone be quiet, no moving! Anyone who moves will be considered as cheating!"

Most people indeed did not move.

Only Luo Wenhuan, diagonally opposite Chen Xu, couldn't hold back any longer, tasting bitterness rising in his throat.

Pfft!

A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out.

Luo Wenhuan shouted, "I'm so resentful! Ah..." In pain, he suddenly lunged forward.

He looked about to soil his papers on the desk, and with a thrill of fear, twisted his body swiftly.

In doing so, he ended up in an extremely contorted position, bang!

He slammed against the brick wall of the examination cell.

Luo Wenhuan shouted, "I'm not committing suicide, collect my paper, ah!"

He cried in pain, his head covered in blood, as he collapsed to the ground.

In his blurry bloodstained state, Luo Wenhuan heard footsteps approaching, and the conversation of patrolling soldiers:

"He's fainted, he said he wasn't committing suicide, what should we do?"

"What do you mean, what should we do? Quick, collect the papers! There's still the next one, don't waste time."

Rustle, rustle, the soldiers placed the paper into a sealed rune box.

Upon hearing this, Luo Wenhuan finally felt relieved and truly passed out.

He still held a faint hope, unwilling to believe his essay was less impressive than Chen Xu's, so he had to successfully submit his paper.

He wanted the world to see how impressive his Luo Wenhuan's essay should be.

No way he could be bested by Chen Xu!

He was dissatisfied...

Luo Wenhuan successfully passed out, unaware that in the same exam venue, there was yet another old acquaintance pretending to faint.

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