Forty Millenniums of Cultivation Chapter 5: Exam Simulation

Chapter 5: Exam Simulation

With the college entrance exams looming, the students were in a state of constant cramming, having finished their standard curriculum long ago. These final hundred days were dedicated entirely to patching knowledge gaps and enduring endless testing. Every week, on a specific morning, a critical exam simulation was held.

Driven by the prompts of their restless instructors, Li Yao inhaled sharply and entered the "Examination Chamber" labeled with his ID. As the door clicked shut, the outside world vanished into a heavy, absolute silence.

"I might not have received any secret pointers from Peng Hai, but my goal is still the 'Nine Elite Universities.' If I commit everything I have, there is nothing to fear," Li Yao whispered, his fist tightening with conviction.

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" A holographic display flickered to life on the chamber’s interior wall, showing a ticking countdown. As the numbers hit zero, a voice as cold and deep as an ancient well echoed, "The examination has begun. Prepare yourself, student!"

In an instant, thousands of arcane glyphs etched into the chamber walls ignited with brilliance. Li Yao’s vision blurred into a swirling vortex of stars before he suddenly found himself standing in the center of a desolate, reddish-brown wasteland.

The ground radiated a scorching heat that made his feet tingle with a stinging sensation. The atmosphere was so thick it felt stagnant, clinging to him like a heavy, sodden towel. A blistering wind occasionally swept through, carrying the pungent, metallic scent of mixed blood. From the shadows of the horizon, the faint sounds of ghostly cries and the howling of wolves drifted toward him.

The sensory details were so vivid that it felt as though he had truly been transported to this lethal realm of malevolent spirits.

However, Li Yao remained aware that this was merely the "Great Illusionary Land" generated by the chamber’s arrays. Knowing that every second counted, he steadied his mind and sprinted forward, guided by a shimmering translucent arrow hovering in the sky.

This was the Fifty Kilometer Long-Distance Cross-Country run—a fundamental Federation course designed to filter the elite from the masses in the search for future Cultivators. The terrain was treacherous, riddled with hidden threats and traps.

Just as Li Yao approached a subtle mound in the dirt, the earth exploded, sending a spray of sharp rock fragments into the air. Lunging from the debris were two Sand Wolves with coats the color of parched earth!

These Demon Fiend Beasts were significantly larger than standard wild wolves. Their most striking feature was a grotesque abnormality: a secondary, smaller head growing from their bulging spines. They were a mutated subspecies of the low-ranking "Sand Wolf" Demon Fiend Beast. Known for their ability to blend into the dunes and their surprising cunning, they were considered a formidable challenge for any high schooler.

But Li Yao was different. Having earned the nickname "Vulture" by surviving eighteen years in the Magical Equipment Artifact Graveyard, scanning his environment had become a primal instinct. The camouflage used by these two Sand Wolves was clumsy in his eyes; he had marked their position long before they struck.

"Dire Bear Stance!"

The Sand Wolves launched themselves into the air. Without missing a beat, Li Yao pushed off the ground, curling his frame and dropping his shoulders. Transforming into the likeness of a rampaging beast, he slammed into them with explosive force!

His timing was flawless, striking just as the wolves reached the peak of their leap. Trapped in mid-air with no leverage to change their trajectory, they took the full brunt of Li Yao's charge.

"SNAP!"

Though these Sand Wolves were deceptive hunters, their skeletal structures were brittle, built for stealthy ambushes rather than head-on collisions. A single clash was all it took for Li Yao’s "Dire Bear Stance" to shatter their spines, sending them tumbling back into the sand.

With a cold smirk, Li Yao lunged forward. His fingers curved like the edges of a blade as he clamped down on the secondary heads protruding from the wolves' backs.

"Steel Hawk’s Claw!"

The smaller heads were crushed instantly. With a final, agonizing shriek, the pair of Sand Wolves went limp.

A melodic "Ding Ding" echoed from the void—the examination chamber’s system recording his kill points.

Li Yao felt a surge of satisfaction. That sequence of moves came from the basic martial art <<Thirteen Forces of the War Beasts>>, which should earn him at least 10 points.

Instead of rushing off, he dragged the carcasses from the pit. Finding a jagged stone nearby, he efficiently slit open the bellies of the fallen beasts.

Moments later, he had fashioned four ribs into sharpened bone blades and managed to stitch the wolf hides into a crude canteen, which he filled with their blood.

In this sweltering desert, a supply of wolf blood could mean the difference between life and death.

After a brief moment to recover and arm himself, Li Yao pushed on. Within an hour, he had survived a dark ambush and slain four more low-ranking Demon Fiend Beasts. Yet, he knew this was just the beginning. The real torment—the part that made every Federation student wish for death—was about to start.

From the heavens, a deluge of glowing green glyphs rained down, coalescing into a complex problem:

"Xiao Ming is a Cultivator at the Refinement stage with a Dantian containing 52,500 crystals of spiritual energy essence. During a session, he is accidentally infested by a 'Heart Devouring Bug.' The parasite consumes 48 crystals of energy every second. Five minutes and thirteen seconds later, Xiao Ming’s master discovers the crisis. To sustain him, the master begins transferring 55 crystals of spiritual soul energy per second. After two minutes, the master increases the transfer rate to 59 crystals per second. Question—"

"First, how much time is required for Xiao Ming to return his spiritual energy essence to its baseline?"

"Second, summarize the refinement process for the 'Heart Devouring Bug' and provide the clinical steps for treating a victim of its infestation."

"Third, identify the Sect that first created the 'Heart Devouring Bug.' Name five of its key historical figures and explain the primary cause of the Sect’s downfall."

Li Yao gave his face a light slap to stay focused. He hadn't expected such a grueling "comprehensive question" that fused mathematics, history, and medicine. It required mastery over Warzone Medic Studies and several other disciplines. This simulation truly lived up to its name.

With intense focus, he began to process the information, pulling from the vast reservoir of knowledge he had memorized. Li Yao’s mind raced, solving the components of the problem at high speed. As he formulated the answers telepathically, light blue text manifested beneath the green questions.

Once finished, he moved immediately to the next challenge!

"A righteous Cultivator from the 'Spirit Mountain Sect' is traveling on a flying sword, heading east toward a canyon at 247 meters per second. Simultaneously, a demonic Cultivator from the 'Blood Murder Stronghold' is flying west on a black cloud at 239 meters per second. They are currently 122.5 kilometers apart. Question: How long until they intercept one another?"

"Assuming their Cultivation levels are identical and they utilize standard Sect techniques and artifacts, please analyze the combat styles of the Spirit Mountain Sect versus the Blood Murder Stronghold. Predict the flow of their duel for at least seven exchanges. Limit your response to 500 words."

This problem was simpler, but as Li Yao prepared to answer, the foul stench of Demon Fiend Beasts wafted toward him. Low, hungry growls echoed closer and closer.

This was the true test: calculating complex answers while under the threat of physical violence. It challenged a student's stamina, martial prowess, mental fortitude, and cognitive speed. Only those who could synthesize these traits into a superior whole could hope to pass the Federation’s exams and walk the path of a Cultivator!

Li Yao crossed his arms, drawing his two pale bone blades. He licked his lips, ready to meet the coming onslaught while his brain continued to crunch numbers at a frantic pace...

The campus was eerily quiet. Each classroom housed ninety examination chambers, where every third-year student was currently fighting for their future within the Great Illusionary Land, juggling beast slaying and academic theory.

Unbeknownst to the participants, four hours had already elapsed within the simulation. The exam was reaching its climax.

Li Yao was a mess of nearly eighty wounds. He was bleeding from several gashes, and a beast's fang was still lodged in his abdomen—a wound he didn't dare disturb. His bone blades had been worn down until they were little more than jagged sticks.

Yet, his eyes remained sharp and clear, glowing with an irrepressible fire.

"This has to be the final one..."

Suddenly, an eight-sided rune appeared in the sky, radiating brilliant golden light. Drawing on his experience, Li Yao knew what this meant. This was the hundred-point "Summary Question" that concluded the test.

The prompt was brief, but its weight was immense: "Please summarize 'The Great Dark Age'."