Chapter 153: The Literary Heart Secret Realm Opens, Six-Colored Light Protects the Body

"Everyone, line up at once!" someone shouted with a resonant, powerful voice, "Fall in quickly according to the positions indicated on your admission tickets!"

Five thousand people rapidly formed lines, and Shi Tiexin found himself stationed neither right in the middle nor near the edge.

Looking around, the spectator stands were completely empty; there were no audiences for the Lesser Provincial Examination. Only on the main stage were staff members bustling about, making final preparations. These staff members operated with remarkable efficiency, not keeping the examinees waiting too long before inspectors, supervisors, medical teams, and even a scattering of media personnel were all fully in place.

Amid the eager anticipation of the five thousand examinees, a group of figures whose leadership status was immediately obvious appeared in unison, walking toward the main stage one after another. The vast majority of the examinees did not recognize these seemingly aloof bigwigs. Yet, there were always a couple of show-offs who would murmur gasps of astonishment regarding these people's identities, aiming to display their broad horizons and extensive social circles in order to crush others' self-confidence.

Hah, such behavior sounded foolish, but it certainly existed. Shi Tiexin had seen plenty of this during job interviews and didn't care about it at all.

What did it matter whether he recognized them or not? Ultimately, true strength would be proven by hard facts.

Screech, screech. Shi Tiexin lowered his head, feeling the change in friction beneath his feet.

It did indeed seem a bit too slippery.

Shi Tiexin was still wearing his own old pair of shoes, the treads on the soles worn completely smooth. Normal combat shoes might not be significantly affected when stepping on such waxed flooring, but Shi Tiexin's shoes presented a bit of an obstacle.

Fortunately, he discovered this in advance. Shi Tiexin secretly adjusted his internal force, adapting to the venue beforehand to avoid being caught off guard when a fight broke out later.

"Look, is that the chief examiner for this exam?"

"So young, who is this?"

"I don't know, but his status must be extremely high. Look at how courteous the director of the education bureau is, accompanying him right beside him—he must be a major figure in the Scholastic Union."

People whispered all around. Shi Tiexin hadn't paid attention initially, but at that moment, a familiar voice rang out from the main stage above, full of breath and carrying clearly across the entire venue.

"Fellow pupils, today I shall preside over this Lesser Provincial Examination of the Muyuan District." That voice carried a chilling edge beneath its mildness, and a fierce sharpness within its pliability, making anyone who heard it instantly shiver and perk up. "The Lesser Provincial Examination is the first step of the Scholastic Union's formal trials, and also the first step for you to change your destinies and achieve your careers."

Huh? This voice!

Shi Tiexin abruptly raised his head, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Standing in the central seat of the main stage, speaking fluently and eloquently to the crowd, was none other than the Scholastic Union officer he had chatted with at the old alley entrance—that "helpful person"!

Back then, that helpful person had appeared casual and carefree, but at this very moment, he stood high above, radiating a tremendous majesty that brooked no violation.

Shi Tiexin couldn't help but feel astonished. He had originally thought this "helpful person" was merely a errand-running functionary among the Scholastic Union officers, especially since many middle-aged men who looked solemn, dignified, and imposing had accompanied him, overshadowing him. Meeting him again now, he never expected this to be a figure capable of presiding over the Lesser Provincial Examination of an entire district!

A flash of light suddenly crossed Shi Tiexin's mind—he had heard from little Gou Danzi a few days ago that presiding over the Scholastic Union's formal trials required opening the Literary Heart Realm, and opening the Literary Heart Realm required possessing a Literary Heart. Those with Literary Hearts were all Grand Academicians, and for such a young Grand Academician to be here in Earth-Wood Fortress, could he possibly be...

"I won't say too much more; I wish you all success on the imperial examinations." The youth was brief with his words, then waved his sleeves, his hands moving like phantoms as he rapidly formed several incantation gestures. Sword gestures swept across the void in flashes, leaving bright and arcane trails of light suspended in the air to form symbols that dazzled the eye.

Shi Tiexin's pupils contracted.

Leaving traces in the void!

It really was him. So this guy was the frequently rumored Grand Academician Longtu!

Looking again at the glowing, unyielding runes flickering in the void, Shi Tiexin finally understood how "leaving traces in the void" worked. Given his current level of cognitive understanding, he could only observe the surface phenomenon. Yet, just from this superficial appearance and merely looking at their outward form, these glowing symbols already dazzled him to the point where he couldn't distinguish them.

In barely a second, all the hand incantations were drawn in mid-air. With a sudden, explosive shudder of his wide robes and large sleeves, Grand Academician Longtu brought his hands together and shouted fiercely: "Open!"

Boom!

It was that same peculiar sense of presence, that same violent explosive force. Although there were clearly no physical sound waves, Shi Tiexin had the shocking sensation of confronting a massive explosion. For a fleeting instant, something radiant seemed to fly out from the top of Grand Academician Longtu's head, but Shi Tiexin couldn't see it clearly at all.

Just as he strained his eyes to look further, a colossal wave of space surged toward him, overwhelming his entire mind and soul.

His brain seemed to pause slightly for a moment. This sensation was identical to the previous time.

When the mental Qi in his mind trembled and recovered from the bizarre dizziness, Shi Tiexin found that the space he occupied had completely changed. Looking left and right, the venue was still a venue, the wooden flooring was still wooden flooring, but the entire scene was now completely devoid of people.

From within the secret realm looking out, and between examinees looking at one another, everyone was entirely invisible.

That was fine, too; at least this way there was no need to worry about being observed in advance or having one's combat style seen through.

Boundaries resembling shattered glazed mirrors enveloped the entire arena, giving everyone ample space to unleash their abilities. The glazed boundaries were wreathed in an ethereal, six-colored radiance. Within this environment, a powerful summons seemed to issue an invitation to the mental Qi within his brain. No special operation was required; Shi Tiexin instinctively knew how to condense the six-colored orb of light.

"All examinees, prepare yourselves."

The youth's voice echoed from every inch of the secret realm, impossible for anyone to miss.

Following that summons, Shi Tiexin gathered his Qi, pushed it forward, and let out a low shout.

"Rise!"

The six-colored orb of light instantly flew out from his skull, suspended in mid-air, orbiting and circulating in a deeply mystical manner.

Looking at the six-colored orb of light, Shi Tiexin sensed it carefully and discovered that it was not the core essence of his mental Qi. His mental Qi still remained safely inside his brain, while the orb before him seemed like a brand-new form born from the fusion of mental Qi and the special power within the Literary Heart Realm, sustained entirely by mental Qi as an energy source.

"Come!"

With a thought from Shi Tiexin, the six-colored orb of light darted over and instantly enveloped his body. Amidst a sensation that was hard to define as either cool or warm, Shi Tiexin felt as though he had been coated with a film.

Glancing down, a thin layer of light covered his entire body from head to toe. In terms of thickness, this six-colored light layer appeared much thinner than those worn by the students in the provincial examination, but judging by the purity and brightness of the colors, Shi Tiexin felt that his own layer was by no means inferior and perhaps even stronger.

The strange sensation quickly faded. He moved his fingers—it completely failed to restrict his movement, feeling as though it didn't exist at all.

"So that's how it is. This light layer continuously draws upon mental Qi, which explains why everyone prefers quick, decisive battles." Shi Tiexin sensed the consumption rate of the mental Qi in his brain and felt that as long as the layer wasn't shattered or needing repairs, simply maintaining its existence posed zero pressure to him. The rate of consumption was even slower than his mental Qi's recovery speed. It seemed that the innate talent of Root Bone reducing consumption and Qi Meridians boosting recovery truly yielded incredible results.

However, it might not be this effortless for others.

Raising his head, a glowing, humanoid phantom leaped out from the void ten meters away.

"The exam begins!"

The phantom flashed, and the glowing humanoid opposite him charged straight toward him.