Chapter 152: The Minor Provincial Examination Begins!

Century of Mist, Year 100, March 19th. All nine districts of Tumburg Space City.

The Lesser Provincial Examination simultaneously begins today!

Countless young students look forward to it with bated breath, countless prep academies grit their teeth and build up morale, countless parents are nervous and apprehensive. The very first formal examination of the Scholastic Union, which will determine their future destinies, begins on this exact day across all districts!

The Scholastic Union has dispatched official commissioners—each possessing at least Scholar-level cultivation—to the nine testing venues to oversee the assessments. Whether other space cities are doing the same today remains unknown, but at least in Tumburg, across these nine petal-like unfolding districts, the Lesser Provincial Examination begins at the exact same moment and will subsequently draw to a close based on each venue's progress.

Although the number of candidates and their proficiency levels vary across the nine major districts, the modern era sees no phenomenon of "examination migration."

On one hand, the Scholastic Union strictly prohibits cross-district examinations. Violators, once discovered, are punished severely without leniency, permanently blacklisted, and never employed.

On the other hand, the Scholastic Union's examinations are graded based on difficulty thresholds rather than rankings. Districts with stronger overall strength naturally produce more names on the golden list, while weaker districts have fewer candidates passing the trials. There is no such scenario where an entire cohort of weaker or foolish students manages to pass simply because of the batch, nor where a brilliant cohort faces restrictions leaving only the usual few spots.

As for the bestowed golden radiance, the top three champions who battle their way out of the stronger districts will invariably receive more golden light than those from the weaker districts. As for the exact proportions and how they are weighed and measured, no one needs to worry. Where the Dao of Heaven resides, balance is naturally maintained without requiring mortal interference.

Yet regardless of whether a district is strong or weak, today is a monumental day.

Since the number of young students far exceeds that of regular scholars, the examination spectacle is all the more grand.

Today’s scene—ah, the atmosphere—can only be described as deafening gongs and drums, crackling firecrackers echoing, seas of fluttering red flags, and crowds stretching as far as the eye can see. Well, actually, there were no firecrackers; the Space City era prohibits air pollution and excessive noise. But the massive gathering of people is an unquestionable reality.

At the entrance of the Muyuan District Cultural and Sports Center, a vast multitude of young students and their parents have gathered. Every single candidate from the entire Muyuan District is concentrated inside this venue for the assessment.

Although Muyuan District's economy is not among the top tiers, and its education is relatively lagging, the number of candidates is by no means small. Take the Star Industries Union, for instance: a single affiliated school alone has over eight hundred graduating students, and the total number of graduating young students in the entire Muyuan District exceeds eight thousand.

Not every one of these eight thousand individuals can participate in the examination, but as long as a family's financial conditions are not too dire and the student is not entirely lacking in brains or drive, the number of those passing the qualification test is quite substantial.

After all, the examination requirements are merely a "good" rating in four foundational subjects and a "pass" in two secondary subjects. Placed in the worldline of the Top Scholar Stone, at the exact same age of sixteen, high school entrance exams test far more material than this. Furthermore, the young students of this worldline are aided by psychokinetic energy; failing to meet the passing threshold would simply denote too much incompetence.

Of course, those experiencing extreme personal or family hardships are counted separately.

Altogether, slightly under five thousand people passed the qualification test.

Five thousand candidates, five thousand families—a massive crowd densely packed around the gates of the Cultural and Sports Center. The organizing committee, having orchestrated the Lesser Provincial Examination on numerous occasions, had long since gained experience and deployed security personnel early on to manage the crowd flow. Only candidates were permitted to enter; spectators were strictly barred.

"Do your best!"

"Relax, you've got this, absolute victory!"

"You little brat, you better pass even if it kills you, or I'll break your legs!"

Shi Tiexin walked amidst the tide of candidates, moving forward with the shoulder-to-shoulder throng. Hearing the diverse voices in his ears, observing the expressions of parents ranging from affection and blessing to exasperation, Shi Tiexin felt a stirring, a momentary daze, a trace of envy, and a vague sense of nostalgia. Yet all these ripples ultimately settled into utter calm.

Calmness born of absolute confidence.

Glancing left and right at the nervous, anxious, and deeply stressed candidates, Shi Tiexin's gaze remained peaceful and formidable.

Are these people my rivals?

No, these people are not my rivals. My rivals belong to that much stronger tier.

For instance, those individuals who managed to secure qualifications merely to observe the provincial examination.

"Yo, if it isn't the majestic Grand Young Master He Chong, boasting plus-one supreme might!" Through the thick wall of people, Shi Tiexin still caught an arrogant voice. "What's this? Why do you look so wilted? Oh, right, I heard a few days ago that Grand Young Master He was slapped in the face by some lowly commoner. How is it? Does it still hurt?"

"Scoundrel! Gong Tengfei, don't you dare be so arrogant! Today, I'll deal with that commoner first, and then I'll deal with you!" This was He Chong's voice.

"A waste who got his face slapped by a commoner dares to talk big here? Hmph, fine, I'll be waiting for you. Today, we'll settle the score once and for all!"

The commotion was loud, and the students surrounding Shi Tiexin grew restless, all stretching their necks to see what was happening.

Shi Tiexin paid them no mind.

One He Chong, and another unfamiliar yet equally condescending young master who looked down upon him—it mattered little. Although He Chong was a bastard, his words just now happened to be correct. Today, he would deal with the latter first, then take care of the former. Whoever stepped up would be handled, sweeping through the entire lot from start to finish!

"Take out your identification! Get them all out!" Security guards at the entrance were checking examination permits one by one. From time to time, gasps of alarm would burst out, followed by figures sprinting away in a panic. Ah, no matter the era, there are always careless fools who forget to bring this or that.

Before long, Shi Tiexin reached the front entrance. A casual glance revealed a guard from Xiong'an Security—someone he had actually met before. During his very first visit to Xiong'an Tower to see Captain Chen, this older brother had been on duty at the entrance. He hadn't expected to see him again today.

Even more unexpectedly, this older brother actually remembered Shi Tiexin.

"It's you," the security guard smiled faintly at Shi Tiexin, patting him on the shoulder. "Ace the exam!"

"I'll take your auspicious words for it."

Shi Tiexin returned the smile, then allowed himself to be swept along by the human tide into the innermost grand hall of the Cultural and Sports Center.

Under the guidance of the venue staff, the five thousand young students streamed into the hall in a dense, overwhelming mass. The vast majority of the young students had never witnessed a provincial examination arena, while those who had kept their knowledge closely guarded to maintain an information advantage. Consequently, these five thousand candidates resembled a massive flock of clueless penguins, shuffling forward on two legs while their heads swiveled like universal joints, looking left and right, finding novelty in everything.

Shi Tiexin felt no superfluous excitement or nervousness. He focused entirely on the path ahead, gathering every ounce of his strength to prepare for an explosive release. At the same time, he directed all his attention to the details that demanded vigilance.

*Creeak.* A friction sound echoed beneath his feet. Shi Tiexin outwardly maintained his composure, but his heart stirred. Unlike the professional fighting rings of the provincial exams, this venue featured flat wooden flooring coated in wax. Simply walking across it normally produced intermittent squeaking sounds.

This wax layer is quite thick, and my own shoes aren't top-tier; my feet might slip...

Shi Tiexin noted it inwardly, continuously micro-adjusting his posture and exerted force amidst his seemingly ordinary stride, probing for the delicate balance between explosive power and stability.

As he pondered, the candidates all arrived at their designated positions.