Chapter 2, The Library of the Divine Sea

Chu Xian's calligraphy possesses a remarkable maturity, and the experiences he has undergone in his dreams have allowed his writing style to develop its own unique character, subtly reflecting the elegance of a master. This is also a significant advantage.

This is the Saint's Bell

As Chu Xian's thoughts stirred once more, in the next moment, another book fell into his hands

At this moment, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Chu Xian's mouth

It is as if a first-rank grand scholar of the current dynasty were to go to a private school to answer the examination papers of children in poetry and prose.

In his dreams, he lost too much for this matter, and in order to continue accomplishing it, he must enter the officialdom. Therefore, the national examination for entering the officialdom is something that must be taken.

In a moment of daze, Chu Xian also discovered something remarkable

When he was lost in thought, he suddenly felt as if he had arrived at a vast sea. This sea was boundless, calm and still, like a mirror, crystal clear and exceptionally pure. At this moment, he found that his feet were treading on the water without sinking.

But Chu Xianzhi is not here

Incorporate the missing subjects of law, literature, politics, and art into a single article.

However, submitting the answer sheet is merely the first step of his plan

In the cultivation of the immortal path, the Divine Sea is a transcendent ability that is independent of one's cultivation level and realm. Many great cultivators of the immortal path have achieved extremely high levels of cultivation, yet at most, they possess only a Divine Pool, but lack a Divine Sea

Within the examination hall, the final subject of the "Strategy" examination is about to commence. Thousands of candidates from various counties are gradually entering their respective examination rooms. In front of each examination room, there are soldiers specifically dispatched from the city guard to keep watch over the candidates, strictly preventing any cheating.

Indeed, it is exactly the same as the exam paper in my dreams

While Chu Xian was deep in thought in the Divine Sea, he had already conceived a plan, one that would allow him to utilize his experiences from dreams to achieve his goals and completely alter his fate

Possessing the divine sea, although it cannot protect oneself nor can it attack the enemy, is nonetheless the most formidable of all divine abilities. Thus, one can remember everything seen and heard. In the future, regardless of what one does, it will surely yield twice the result with half the effort. When studying or learning the law, one only needs to go through it once to surpass the efforts of others over a hundred days.

In addition to these, Chu Xian also brought several books, all related to the memories of this provincial examination, including who the examiners were, what the future holds, who the roll judge was, and what the future holds for them.

At this moment, Chu Xian is sitting in the room, surveying the furnishings of this space. It is exceedingly simple, with only a broken wooden stool and a wooden table, along with a chamber pot at the back and writing materials on the table.

Although the first four subjects were missed, there is still the last subject. Since I have woken up, I must take the exam, even if I cannot pass. The news will spread, and it can earn goodwill and a good reputation among the many invigilators.

But is the fact really so

Or rather, since the dream has ended, it is equivalent to allowing him to be reborn once. There are too many regrets in the experiences of the dream that Chu Xian wishes to make amends for, and there is also one most important matter.

Chu Xian knew these things because he became an official in his dreams

After a while, Chu Xian understood what was happening and murmured: "The sage has said, the mind is like the sea, and memory is like a book. This place should be the domain of my sea of consciousness, but how could it be..."

After the excitement, Chu Xian realized that he was currently in the Sea of Spirits, where one hour here equates to merely a breath of time outside. However, one cannot remain in the Sea of Spirits for more than two hours, as exceeding this limit would exhaust the spirit and could also harm the mind

The function of the Divine Sea is primarily to achieve an unforgettable memory. What the eyes see and the ears hear, for ordinary people, is often forgotten shortly after; only a very small fraction can be retained. However, once one has cultivated the Divine Sea, everything perceived by the eyes and ears can be imprinted within it, becoming a record and a classic. Every detail, no matter how trivial, can be recalled at will, without missing a single thing.

Inside the room, Chu Xian looked at the paper he had completed, feeling quite satisfied

This can be considered a form of special "cheating"

However, it is also because he has attained the Divine Sea that the Chu Xian in his dreams can be considered a great cultivator of the immortal path. A figure akin to a giant, he was once the Inspector of Dongyue and has overseen tens of thousands of ghosts and deities in the Dongyue region, thus he is referred to as the "Lord of Dongyue"

Not necessarily

The volumes contained within should be the memories of dreams, with all that is seen and heard recorded within these volumes, and here, the number of volumes is beyond count

The stroke becomes a character, and the character embodies the spirit

To achieve the divine realm of the sea, effort and talent account for only 10%, while the remaining 90% relies on opportunity

At that moment, with a thought from Chu Xian, a book flew over and landed in his hand

Unfortunately, at this moment, there is no one inside the Hall of Saints. The soldiers stationed outside the house seem to have heard something, but upon looking back, they thought it was just the wind, and thus paid it no mind

Chu Xian had a clear plan in mind; the article he intended to write had already taken shape. Without wasting any time, Chu Xian picked up his brush and ink, and began to write

As she watched, Chu Xian's eyes brightened, and a plan formed in her mind

At that moment, a candidate walked briskly over and spoke to the supervising examiner in charge of this area. The latter was taken aback and appeared quite surprised, but still nodded in accordance with the rules

For instance, when the time comes, the person responsible for grading the papers may not necessarily be able to discern the subtleties of this article; even if they do recognize it, they may not be able to grant an exception for passing the imperial examination. Even if they pass, it does not guarantee that they will be able to enter official service

However, Chu Xian thought that this time he could not rely solely on strategy to respond; he also needed to integrate the four subjects he had previously missed. In other words, Chu Xian planned to write an examination paper titled "One Subject and Five Strategies"

Soon, a treatise on strategy that aligns with the topic was completed, and upon closer examination, it becomes evident that this article not only encompasses strategy but also distills the essence of the four arts: law, literature, governance, and the arts.

The first step has now been taken, but there will still be some issues to encounter in the future

Who would have thought that after awakening from the dream, the divine sea he had diligently cultivated would actually remain

In her dreams, Chu Xian only achieved the Divine Sea in her final year. It is important to note that among countless cultivators in the world, those who can attain the Divine Sea are truly rare. This process involved numerous setbacks and hardships, as well as certain specific opportunities; without any one of these, it would have been nearly impossible to reach the Divine Sea. At best, one could only attain the Divine Pool, which is worlds apart from the Sea.

This was an enormous surprise for Chu Xian

Cheating in examinations is always a serious crime. Once discovered, the student will be immediately expelled and will never be allowed to take the exam again, which is already a severe punishment. Moreover, with soldiers wielding swords and an atmosphere filled with intimidation, even the boldest individuals would not dare to cheat under such circumstances. Therefore, the examination environment has historically been very good.

But unfortunately, no one can expose or discover it

Everyone in the world knows that official positions are hard to come by, but once one enters the government, it is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, achieving success in one bound

The topic of the examination has not yet been released, there is still time, and Chu Xian is currently sitting upright in deep thought

At this moment, Chu Xian looked towards the library

The mere thought of this process sends chills down Chu Xian's spine, as the dangers and difficulties involved are simply unbearable to recall

After awakening from the dream, Chu Xian possesses thirty years of memories from the dream, along with the Divine Sea Library. It can be said that no matter what he does, he will stand out, even if he hides in the deep mountains to cultivate; after a few years, he will still make a name for himself.

Chu Xian practiced the immortal path techniques in his dreams, and he even mastered the rare Sea of Divine Arts. At that time, when he condensed the Sea of Divine, he had also been here, but the only difference was that there was no large house and no books filling the room back then

Soon, a sword-bearing soldier led the candidate to an empty examination room and instructed him to enter

At this moment, footsteps were heard at the outer gate; the person responsible for distributing the examination papers had arrived, pushing a wooden cart filled with already sealed questions. On both sides, four armed soldiers stood guard, creating an atmosphere of solemnity

The provincial examination is the most basic civil service examination of the Tang Dynasty, of great significance, and naturally allows for not the slightest carelessness

Looking down, it was indeed the "Compendium of Regenerative Medicine"

Thus, Chu Xian came to participate in the final subject examination. Although the supervising officer just now allowed Chu Xian to enter the examination room, he fundamentally believed that this was merely a formality. No matter how brilliantly or spectacularly the final subject was written, it would be impossible to pass.

At the moment this article was completed, a copper bell hanging in the center of the Hall of Saints in the Imperial Examination Institute suddenly resonated, producing a clear sound, and it rang nine times

but rather in the cultivation of the path of spirits and deities

In the final examination of strategy, Chu Xian had already discerned the question from the Sea of Spirits, and since just now, he had been contemplating how to answer the paper. Among the numerous memory texts in the Sea of Spirits, there were countless similar and exceptionally brilliant articles and arguments that could be borrowed.

A student from a humble background, despite missing an exam due to an accident and knowing there was no hope, still participated in the final subject's examination. This serves as a great motivation for scholars and is also a commendable act for Shangguan to promote.

This candidate is naturally Chu Xian

The examination paper was handed in through a small window. Chu Xian hurriedly took it and opened it to take a look. Although he had anticipated this, he still smiled upon seeing the questions.

In the dream, Chu Xian, after serving as an official for twenty-five years, finally had this opportunity to cultivate the Divine Sea. Now that the dream has awakened, the Divine Sea still exists, which is already sufficient to prove that the so-called dream is, in fact, real

When Chu Xian finished writing, the article flowed seamlessly, vividly coming to life on the page

After revisiting the memories of this provincial examination in the Sea of Gods, Chu Xian knew what he should do

... ...

What is recorded above is precisely the account of his participation in the provincial examination this year. Every detail, no matter how trivial, is visible above, and naturally, it includes all the questions from this provincial examination.

If one desires to write something flawless and astonishing, it can be quite challenging. Fortunately, the thirty years of experience in Chu Xian's dreams come into play. In those dreams, he served as a scribe for eight years, and with the combination of the memories from the divine sea's texts, it is not difficult to compose a strategic piece that integrates the five arts.

In his dreams, he ultimately only achieved the rank of a fourth-grade official, a position that is not particularly high, but his greatest strength in the dream was not in his official career

The difficulty of repairing the divine sea is a consensus

Chu Xian turned around to take a look, and to his surprise, there was a gigantic house on the surface of the water behind him. The house had no doors, and inside, countless books were densely arranged.

How to do it