The palace examination only had one session of policy-making, and the paper had to be submitted on the same day. With their thoughts resolved, the Wu brothers seemed to write with divine assistance.
Meanwhile, two hundred miles away from the Capital City, within the Fu Yong Mausoleum.
In the depth of the tomb, where no sunlight could reach, the surface of the coffin made of nanmu wood unexpectedly sprouted numerous green branches at some point, as if the lifeless tomb chamber suddenly gained vitality.
By midday, at the hour when the sun was strongest on Zhao Mountain, countless black water suddenly overflowed from the green oil-like chamber of Empress Duran inside, emerging from the cracks of the coffin. Instantly, the thick Yin Evil Qi isolated the penetrating solar energy.
The light was distorted, with a slanting moon hanging high. As the night fell, when the Yin energy was at its peak and the Yang energy was just beginning to grow, a nameless inferno suddenly ignited within the chamber full of black water. The flames were as hot as the molten core of the earth, with the black water as the fuel.
The following day, the scene within Empress Duran's tomb chamber repeated, cycling continuously until the end of April, the day when the palace examination results were revealed, and finally the commotion subsided.
This time, three individuals were ranked first in the palace examination, with their writings all tailored to strengths and revealing strategies that pleased the ruler.
Yet, among the second-place graduates, many were of remarkable talent, offering genuine insights, but due to speaking too many harsh truths, they failed to enter the top ranks.
The Wu brothers both ranked among the second class, while of the three top-ranked scholars, apart from the one who topped the national examination, the other two everyone without exception were positioned behind Wu Zhiyuan.
Some voiced inequality outside the Taihe Hall, but immediately, a scholar near the throne spoke out to stop them:
"The fairness or lack thereof will be determined. This has been reviewed by the Emperor, akin to a revelation from Heaven; how dare you dispute here!"
Just as the scholar's words finished, suddenly a thunderous explosion sounded from afar the Capital City. Though the thunder was distant, inexplicably, the entire Imperial Palace trembled because of it.
On the throne of Taihe Hall, Zhao Rong stumbled and remarked with uncertainty, "Where is the thunder coming from, how can it be so mighty?"
The Chief Eunuch, Feng Dehai, listened intently and said, "Judging by the sound, it seems to be beyond the northwest of the city."
"Northwest?"
Before Zhao Rong could ponder further, the Taihe Hall shook once more, and the distant thunder seemed relentless, rolling continuously!
"Such a celestial anomaly must have its cause, quickly summon the Supervisor of Astronomers to enter the hall for questioning."
...
An hour earlier, inside the Fu Yong Mausoleum at Zhao Mountain.
Within the long-sealed chamber, a foot-long sharp claw suddenly pierced through the heavy coffin lid. The dark gold claw paused for a moment then continued to pry the lid upwards.
However, because the claw was too sharp, the heavy coffin lid instead of being lifted, was sliced cleanly in half, as if cutting through tofu.
The lid collapsed, and from the already decayed Yin Gold Coffin, sat a strange figure covered in Corpse Hair, filled with ominous energy.
The figure raised both hands, its eyes like ghostly flames seemed able to penetrate the Nine Netherworld.
"Something's not right..."
Awoken from his slumber, Xu Qing frowned slightly. At the ends of his finger bones, the foot-long claws like tiger claws stretched effortlessly; this was the innate Divine Techniques obtained after refining the Tiger Master using forest laws.
Yet before Xu Qing could feel fortunate, he sensed the presence of ominous energy on himself.
The energy seemed like the dense smoke signals rising from a signal fire, or like a lighthouse brightening a solitary island at night.
Even within the Imperial Mausoleum, Xu Qing could feel himself more dazzling than the noon sun.
No wonder the five-hundred-year lightning disasters were unavoidable, no wonder Zombie calamities were even more terrifying.
Turns out, this is why!
Xu Qing suddenly realized, if the cultivator's five-hundred-year calamity was like a ship borrowing arrows, then Zombies were the only ships among all battlegrounds laden with lanterns and drums.
If Heaven wasn't blind, wouldn't it strike the thunder onto you with all its might!
Recognizing the peril, Xu Qing opened the Yin Pupil, directly observing the surrounding Dharma Realm.
He saw the lurking evil spirits hidden in the shadows all fleeing afar, and at this moment inside and outside the Imperial Mausoleum, besides him, there was no ghostly shadow left.
Looking again towards the sky in the Dharma Realm, numerous dark clouds rolled and gathered, thunder resounding intermittently from afar to near.
Xu Qing could distinctly sense that from the endless heavens, an unavoidable whim was locking onto him, whether he escaped to the ends of the earth or the depth of the Nine Netherworld, this whim would shadow him, firmly adhering to him!
Resting on the coffin, intending to flee with those underworld beings, Xu Qing slowly sat down once again.
Since it's come to this, let's eat first.
He took out a pile of pills, along with paper bags, bottled powder, and loose medicines, without fine differentiation, he swallowed all beneficial pills into his stomach.
Strength Pill, cooling powder, Cyan Essence Pill, Corpse Nourishing Pill...regardless of value, Xu Qing consumed everything usable!
In his mind, no matter how precious things were, they were only useful after surviving the calamity. If unable to survive, even immortality pills were worthless!
Once his belly was round and could take no more, Xu Qing finally paused.
Yet, as the medicine took effect, Xu Qing suddenly discovered an annoying phenomenon.
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The ominous aura on him unexpectedly strengthened along with his rising aura.
What's this? Anti-cheating or targeting me?
Xu Qing let out a muffled groan, as the invisible heavenly might from the Imperial Mausoleum had already affected him.
The phenomenon of gathering dark clouds lasted for a whole hour, as if determined not to stop until all the clouds in the region were gathered.
The fierce wind howled, and after an hour of accumulation, the pressure above the Imperial Mausoleum became almost tangible.
Xu Qing felt as though he was carrying a mountain, struggling not only to run but even to walk normally.
Finally, the thunder light brewed for a long time in the nine heavens tore through the sky and fell straight towards Zhao's Mountain.
Who can escape this?
The death-omen star that usually shone at all times for Xu Qing went completely quiet, as if it was saying: finally, time to clock out.
Not to mention whether there is a Death-omen Star Lord managing the death omen, Xu Qing truly felt the threat of death at the moment.
This threat was not a transformation from human to ghost, nor ghost to demon, but a complete erasure from the three thousand worlds, inside and outside the Five Elements.
Xu Qing forcefully raised his head, and his pitch-black gaze stared directly outside the Imperial Mausoleum.
There are three types of thunder calamities, with Yin thunder and Yang thunder being the most common. Heaven's divine thunder is a rare occurrence; it only appears when an evil spirit emerges.
Whether human or monster, facing thunder calamity gives the chance to meet a thunder with corresponding attributes.
Monsters favor Yin thunder, while humans favor Yang thunder.
If thunder with matching attributes is encountered, it signifies a destined encounter with immortality, allowing one to easily overcome the calamity. If mismatched, it's a matter of life and death, nine times out of ten!
And the thunder Xu Qing faced was precisely the rare Heaven's divine thunder.
"Does a virtuous zombie deserve to be struck by lightning?"
What kind of reasoning is this?
Xu Qing raised his head, his aura surged to the peak, and given the situation, he wasn't going to hold back!
At the moment when the Purple Sky divine thunder was about to strike, a mighty monument of merit formed by two hundred thousand incense arose and shot straight into the sky!
The monument passed through the thick barrier of dark clouds, and its golden glowing tip nearly reached the heart of the heavens.
The divine thunder was blocked at the doorstep, almost bursting.
The heavens seemed displeased, even though you have so many merits and incense, you shouldn't be so ostentatious.
This would otherwise imply to all immortals, gods, humans, and ghosts that my divine thunder struck the wrong target?
Thus, the second strike, with half the power but double the momentum, ruthlessly targeted Xu Qing.
Then the third, fourth, as if determined not to rest until the Imperial Mausoleum was leveled to the ground.
Xu Qing was highly tense and hadn't noticed that the power of the divine thunder was faltering; he only saw the increasingly aggressive warning-like divine thunder!
This is bullying an honest person, isn't it? Xu Qing gritted his teeth.
Since you're being unreasonable, let's see how fair it goes; even if I fall here today, it will be a noble death!
Immediately, Xu Qing conjured the willing power of tens of thousands of people, showing a trend of going for broke.
The next moment, just before the unending Heaven's divine thunder descended, an even taller, more majestic monument of merit arose from the ground.
This time, not only did it pierce through the clouds, but it also went straight into the throat of the heavens.
No idea if His Majesty coughed, but the divine thunder up there seemed like it saw a ghost, swerving crazily to strike elsewhere.
This zombie truly went righteous berserk!
As the thunderclouds retreated, a beam of warm white heavenly light fell into the large opening of the damaged Imperial Mausoleum.
Xu Qing retracted the scattered incense, and the often flickering death-omen star resumed its glimmer.
The Death-omen Star Lord still had to clock in for work today.
No idea if His Majesty coughed, but the divine thunder up there seemed like it saw a ghost, swerving crazily to strike elsewhere.
This zombie truly went righteous berserk!
As the thunderclouds retreated, a beam of warm white heavenly light fell into the large opening of the damaged Imperial Mausoleum.
Xu Qing retracted the scattered incense, and the often flickering death-omen star resumed its glimmer.