The Grand Imperial Examination was first established by the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Whether one sought to become an official, a military officer, or a divine official in the state religion, the results of the Grand Imperial Examination were always the most important standard. Most crucially, the founding emperor decreed that only those who ranked among the top three in the Grand Imperial Examination were qualified to enter the Celestial Book Mausoleum and view the Celestial Book. Because of this rule, countless powerful individuals from all over the world would come to the capital at the beginning of each year. During the very first Grand Imperial Examination, the founding emperor stood atop the city wall, watching as the continent’s geniuses from every sect poured in like a school of fish, and with a smile, he uttered a now-famous phrase, thus cementing the status of the Grand Imperial Examination.

The southern nations, especially the secluded sects like the Longevity Sect, were naturally extremely dissatisfied with this rule. In their view, although the Celestial Book Mausoleum was located in the Great Zhou capital, the Celestial Book itself was a divine stone descended from the heavens and should be the shared treasure of the entire continent. Because of this, the South had boycotted the Grand Imperial Examination several times, leading to extremely tense relations between the two sides.

However, the Celestial Book Mausoleum was simply too important to cultivators. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty was powerful, it could not risk universal condemnation by monopolizing it, and the southern powers were equally unable to resist the temptation of entering the mausoleum to view the steles. Even during the years after the demons were repelled, when the two sides grew distant and the South openly boycotted the exam, many southern sect elites still participated in the Grand Imperial Examination in a private capacity.

After the Sacred Empress took power, the Great Zhou Dynasty finally reached an agreement with the southern powers: the southern nations and sects could send their own delegations to participate in the Grand Imperial Examination, with both sides jointly judging the results. Southern students could also choose not to accept official titles or rewards from the Great Zhou, while all other matters would be treated equally. Furthermore, under this new agreement, the Grand Imperial Examination was given an entirely new name.

Over countless years, the Grand Imperial Examination has selected countless powerful individuals. It is said that all of today’s most powerful figures on the continent once came to the Great Zhou capital to participate in the exam. Even more widely known is the fact that the current Patriarch of the State Religion and the Elder of the Southern Saintess Peak were both outstanding participants in the Grand Imperial Examination. Not to mention that certain geniuses among the western demon clans once disguised themselves as humans to take part, and even the demon race once had a young lord who risked coming to the capital, only to have his identity exposed by the previous Patriarch, who subdued him with a great divine art, reducing him to a wisp of smoke.

Those are stories from many years ago. Now, people are more concerned about whether Owen Carter of the Longevity Sect will participate in next year’s Grand Imperial Examination, how many of the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom will make it into the top ranks, whether Yvonne Sullivan will break through early and leave Saintess Peak to return to the capital, and whether that genius known for his cold and mysterious reputation in the demon wilderness will make his first appearance before the world or continue his bloody pursuit with the demon elites. Aside from these, what the people of the capital care about most is which dazzling new talents will emerge from the academies of the capital.

Yes, there are many academies in the capital. Under the rule of the Sacred Empress, with strict governance, clean administration, and improving lives for the people, the past decades have been a time of peace and prosperity. Academies have sprung up like bamboo shoots after the rain, and even a few years ago, many private academies were established with the sole aim of preparing students for the Grand Imperial Examination, secretly taught by powerful figures from the state religion. Of course, the most famous and powerful academies are still the oldest ones, two of which even predate the Great Zhou Dynasty itself.

There are six academies on Ethan Brooks’s list, with Tiandao Academy at the top. In fact, across the entire continent, Tiandao Academy is qualified to be ranked among the very best. In the past two hundred years, its students have taken first place in the Grand Imperial Examination twenty-four times. Every student who studies here is exceptionally gifted. This academy has provided the state religion with many high-ranking divine officials and countless cultivation geniuses to the various sects. Most importantly, the current Patriarch of the State Religion was once a student of this academy.

Tiandao Academy has the best record in the history of the Grand Imperial Examination, and is naturally the hardest to enter, yet it still attracts the most applicants. Ethan Brooks walked to the gate of Tiandao Academy, gazing at the grand and imposing black jade entrance, and at the academy’s name inscribed personally by the founding emperor. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration and longing, but this feeling was quickly dispelled by the bustling, marketplace-like atmosphere at the gate, along with the pungent smells of sweat and ink, causing him to instinctively lower his head.

When he left Xining, he had already calculated the timing. He arrived in the capital just as the academies were holding their spring admissions. He had expected that Tiandao Academy would have a huge number of applicants, but he hadn’t imagined it would be to such a terrifying extent. What made him even more uncomfortable was the group of young men at the gate, standing around lazily, pointing and gesturing at the crowd.

These young men wore similar outfits, mostly black with gold sashes at the waist—clearly the academy uniform of Tiandao Academy. Ethan Brooks knew these were students who had failed the Grand Imperial Examination earlier in the year. These people were proud and arrogant, but having failed the exam, they were also frustrated and resentful. Naturally, they would not show any kindness to the new applicants today. Hearing their sharp and mocking words, and seeing the ridicule in their eyes, Ethan Brooks instinctively lowered his head even further.

He wasn’t lowering his head out of fear, but because he had a slight obsession with cleanliness, both physically and mentally. He didn’t want to smell the sweat of the crowd, nor did he want to hear those words.