Chapter 117 – The Starlight Between My Fingers (1) (2/2)

As the Seven Laws of the Divine State that had forcefully swept across the proclamation in recent years, for them to discuss the prospects of a youth that hadn’t even achieved Purification in such a serious and earnest way would have shocked any onlookers. It was obvious that the Ivy League gathering and today’s evaluations from the Council of Divine Ordinance had caused Chen Chang Sheng to become a source of pressure for these proud and confident youths.

Qi Jian had asked for past examples, but what he was looking for was a record, the three fellow disciples turned to look at Gou Han Shi.

Gou Han Shi retracted his gaze from the stars and stared at his juniors, shaking his head and laughing: “There hasn’t been anything like this in the past.”

His words were spoken softly, without any intent to end the conversation, but it still gave the impression of being irrefutable.

Liang Ban Hu and Guan Fei Bai let out inexplicable sighs of relief.

Qi Jian continued to have signs of worry on his face and said: “Even if there hasn’t been anything similar in the past, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible for the future.”

“Little junior has logic in his words, but I think the possibility is low, within a short three months, you cannot achieve Ethereal Opening from Purification… this isn’t a possibility.”

Gou Han Shi continued: “This isn’t a problem of cultivation, but a simple calculation, discounting Purification and Meditation and only considering the need to open the door to the Ethereal Palace; this would require the use of Starlight for one-hundred nights, unless there really exists a legendary item for extending time, Chen Chang Sheng will not be able to achieve Ethereal Opening by the time of the Grand Examination.”

He had read ten-thousand scrolls, and understood the concept that mathematics does not lie, therefore he was certain of his reasoning.

Upon hearing these words, the others finally understood their second senior’s certainty.

Without achieving the Ethereal Opening realm by the time of the Grand Examination, Chen Chang Sheng could not achieve first place upon the First Banner.

This was because, their second senior had already achieved Ethereal Opening.

There were also a few other students from the younger generation that might come to the Zhou Empire’s Capital for the Grand Examination who had already achieved Ethereal Opening.

The Ethereal Opening realm was a stage of life and death; it was also a dividing-line. Within and without this dividing-line were two different worlds.

Within the blizzards of the Northern Reaches, a lone youth turned Southwards, his fingertips stained with blood.

Outside of the South’s Scholartree Manor, a number of green-robed scholars bid farewell to their peers.

Upon various corners of the central continent, youths that were entering the Grand Examination, began moving.

What was different from past years was that they all had the same target in mind.

That target, was the name, Chen Chang Sheng.

“This is only an attempt to muster recognition… though, the momentum is certainly impressive.” The Divine Empress followed the pond until she reached the walls of the Imperial Palace. She extended her hand and picked a wild chrysanthemum before handing it behind her and said: “If it wasn’t for the age of Chen Chang Sheng being far too young, I would have suspicions on the intentions of those people.”

She didn’t have anyone behind her, it was only the Black Goat.

The Black Goat gently leaned its head, avoiding the wild chrysanthemum that was being extended, expressing a lack of interest in the food.

The Divine Empress shook her head and extended her hand to push open the door, crossing the long and quiet passage and taking the Black Goat with her to the Hundred Herb Garden, “You haven’t been here for some years, if there’s anything you want to eat, then go eat it.”

The Hundred Herb Garden was filled with rare and precious medicinal herbs and fruits; using these reagents to create medicine would fetch high prices, even the elite of the Capital would have trouble acquiring a quantity, but for the Divine Empress, these were nothing more than nibbles for the Black Goat; not to mention it had to depend on if the Black Goat felt like eating.

Outside of the palace, there has been a rumour that the Black Goat which pulled the Little Green Bamboo Carriage was personally raised by Lady Mo Yu, this wasn’t correct… neither was the Black Goat personally raised by the Divine Empress. Conversely, in those long years past, when Taizong Emperor had first confined her to the isolation room of the Hundred Herb Garden, she had to often endure hunger, it was this Black Goat that had brought fruits for her from time to time.

Reaching the stone table, the Divine Empress began drinking tea, there were clearly no servants here, yet unknown when, the teapot had tea inside; upon pouring into a cup, there was still steam visible.

It was unknown as to where the Black Goat had wandered off to, or what it was currently eating.

Her gaze went across the steam and fell upon the dividing wall beyond the autumn woods.

That wall belonged to Orthodox Academy.

Chen Chang Sheng wasn’t in the library; he was in his own room in the small dorm. He was sat beside the window, a book in one hand, with the other hanging outside the window, receiving Starlight descending from the night sky.

The Archbishop’s declaration had roused a hail of gossip within the Capital, this hail became a storm and traversed the walls of Orthodox Academy; no matter how he tried to ignore what was happening beyond the windows, the sounds of the storm was too fierce and couldn’t be blocked out of his ears. His current mood was thusly, rather sombre; he didn’t know what intentions the Archbishop had, he didn’t know how the Archbishop came to know of his need to achieve first place upon the First Banner, and he equally didn’t know what meaning was there to him participating in the Grand Examination when he couldn’t achieve Purification.

The Starlight landed upon his palm; his meridians were clear, yet there were no changes.

He could clearly sense the position of his star within the deepest reaches of the night sky, that fleeting connection gradually calmed him down again.

The book he had in his hand was the Four Classics of Meditation, he had spent the last few days researching the various principles behind the Meditation Realm, to help prepare for Luo Luo and Tang Thirty-Six’s life-and-death endeavour to break through into the Ethereal Opening Realm. He didn’t let up on his own cultivation however, spending countless nights guiding Starlight for Purification, alas, his body didn’t undergo any changes, leading to him feeling tired and despaired.

Yet, at this moment, within the Four Classics of Meditation, he saw a passage that made him think of a certain possibility.

His five fingers were slightly outstretched and the Starlight fell through the gaps, landing upon the window screen.