The grand spiritual barrier surrounding the white marble plaza of the Abyssal Lotus Pavilion slowly dissolved as the final bells of the examination officially rang. The suffocating silence of the past few hours was instantly broken by a massive wave of noise. Thousands of young cultivators, noble heirs, and independent scholars poured out through the grand iron gates, their faces filled with a mixture of intense exhaustion and sudden, booming confidence.
Almost immediately, the outer plaza turned into a massive stage for arrogant posturing and proud announcements. Young noble masters from the middle-tier clans gathered in tight circles, loudly boasting about how many volumes of ancient history they had successfully decoded.
