"What kind of strength is needed to achieve good results in the national examination and help South City obtain more cultivation resource subsidies?"

Ling Feng asked.

He saw Wang Dashan talking about the national examination with great excitement, as if more life force was being continuously delivered from his bones and flesh.

He hoped that Wang Dashan could continue living.

"The provincial exam is where the talents from the fifty-two cities in Jiangbei Province compete on the same stage. The champion of the last provincial exam was a Bloodline Martial Artist like you, with strength similar to yours, but he activated the Bone Phase and had abundant cultivation resources. However, you are both a Master of Gun Technique and a Body Tempering Master, have comprehended the second layer of Spear Technique Power, and you are a Mental Telekinesis Master—even if you haven't activated the fourth layer of Dharma Aspect, in the upcoming provincial exam, you will achieve good results. Even if you don't get first place, being in the top three is definitely achievable.

As for the national examination.

It's a competition where talents from the seventy-three provinces of the Great Xia Kingdom compete on the same stage, with each province having three representatives, the top three from the provincial exam, representing their respective province.

In every national exam, representatives from Jiangbei Province, without exception, get eliminated in the preliminary rounds, and it has been decades since anyone has entered the second round.

The Great Xia Kingdom is vast and fraught with crisis. Jiangbei Province's geographical environment is among the lowest of the seventy-two provinces, making it difficult for provincial talents to be comparable to talents from other provinces.

So as long as you represent Jiangbei Province in the national exam and successfully enter the second round, both Jiangbei Province and South City will have won."

Wang Dashan said expectantly.

"Is the difficulty level really that high?"

Ling Feng was surprised; to Wang Dashan, the national exam seemed like an insurmountable mountain. For talents from Jiangbei Province, entering the second round would be considered a miracle.

"High, as high as a few floors."

"Among the seventy-three provinces, there are five administrative levels, and Jiangbei Province is at the bottom as a fifth-tier province. Besides having a high population density, it never has an advantage in geographical environment or resource subsidies. During the Great Crossing River Era, Jiangbei Province, Jiangnan Province, and Jiangzhou Province were considered abandoned."

"Your strength and performance in South City are top-notch, and even in the entire Jiangbei Province, you are among the best, but among the seventy-three provinces, entering the second round of the national exam already involves some luck."

"Fourth-tier, third-tier, second-tier, first-tier—every rise in administrative level brings a huge difference in resource subsidies and living environments."

"In South City, there's a division between the Outer Ring City and Inner Ring City, a Great Radiation Zone, and harsh environments like the Profound Realm. But once you enter a fourth-tier province, every city's living environment is better than in the Inner Ring City."

"For those in fourth-tier provinces, living in a fifth-tier province is like living in the difference between Inner Ring City and Outer Ring City."

"Similarly, people in third-tier provinces view cities below third-tier in the same way."

"Within the seventy-three provinces, there are only four provinces with a first-tier administrative level: Guangnan Province, Guanghai Province, Guangjing Province, and Guangshen Province, the four vast provinces. They occupy more than fifty percent of the Great Xia Kingdom's cultivation resources and living subsidies. In Jiangbei Province, those turning eighteen and not reaching the Martial Artist level get sent to serve on the front line, whereas over there, those not becoming a Dharma Martial Artist by eighteen get sent to serve on the front line."

Old Deng spoke slowly, following Wang Dashan's words.

"Being eighteen and not becoming a Dharma Aspect means being sent to the front line, this..."

Ling Feng was shocked.

"The treatment for personnel from provinces of different administrative levels varies widely, as does the responsibility they bear. Those living in first-, second-, third-, and fourth-tier provinces, without exception, have contributed to humanity or their ancestors have paid all kinds of prices. The competition over there is far more intense than here, so don't complain. The cultivation assistance is very limited, and if you want to live stronger and better, you can only rely on your own strength to compete. Similarly, if South City wants to change its current situation, we must all rely on ourselves; only by uniting as one and striving together for more cultivation resource subsidies can South City overcome the division between Inner Ring City and Outer Ring City."

Wang Dashan said resolutely.

"That may be true, but the gap is quite significant."

Ling Feng looked solemn.

Living in South City, transitioning from Outer Ring City to Inner Ring City requires various audits; similarly, moving from a fifth-tier province to a fourth-tier province also requires points and merit exchange.

Maybe in second- or first-tier provinces, those living there can see blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters as in their previous lives.

"Humanity faces crises everywhere, and surviving is already not easy, but you must never lose hope.

The last Great Crossing River Era, Jiangbei Province and South City never gave up. Those of us who survived should remember our mission, inherit the fighting spirit of our predecessors. If the next Great Crossing River comes, I think no one will choose to abandon Jiangbei Province or South City."

Old Deng said seriously.

"Great Crossing River?"

Ling Feng thought carefully and learned from the original owner's memory that the Great Crossing River was a battle, a bloody fight between humans and ocean alien race creatures.

At the border of Jiangbei Province, there is the Great Radiation Zone and an ocean, and South City has a coastline. Just decades ago, ocean creatures invaded Jiangbei Province in droves.

The Seven Great Star Systems Alliance also provided significant resources and human assistance.

Eventually, they successfully repelled the ocean creatures, and the battle lasted fifteen years, known in history as the Great Crossing River Era.

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