Volume One, Chapter One: The Examination of the Realm

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Year 2025, Qing City.
Qing University.
The sophomore teaching building has always been the tallest among all grades. Climbing up and down it always left one drenched in sweat. With the postgraduate entrance exams approaching, everyone hurried along anxiously, afraid that even a second’s delay would cause their scores to fall behind.
In a classroom on the sixth floor nearest the corridor, passionate lectures echoed inside.
“Energy in the world divides into two types: Yin and Yang. Yang represents what we call Spirit Masters. Those with talent awaken unusual abilities connected to metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder. By controlling their energy, they can move mountains and cross seas without effort, and even battle demons and monsters, becoming incredibly powerful…”
A student raised their hand. “Teacher, what is Yin energy?”
“Yin energy refers to the unknown—such as foresight, causality, and unpredictable energies like demons and ghosts. But in modern society, no one has truly seen Yin energy. The only glimpses come from urban legends…”
Students diligently took notes; the rustling sound of pens against paper was particularly clear.
The grade head turned and saw some students drowsily yawning, sleepily rubbing their eyes.
He folded his hands behind his back, tapped the blackboard, and said coldly, “You’re already sophomores, yet you’re still this tired. The domain exam is just two months away. You’re ordinary students with no awakened powers. If you don’t work harder, how do you expect to enter the Eastern Domain?”
“Even if you can’t become Spirit Masters, you must at least get into a better city. Every city recruits cultural students yearly, and competition is fierce. If you’re this lazy, what will you study in the future…”
Students dared not retort and instead applied medicated oil near their eyes, concentrating harder.
The familiar rhetoric was no different from high school teachers.
The university life felt exactly like senior year of high school—all driven by future prospects.
In recent years, appearances of demons and monsters had increased. Small towns became unsafe, with death tolls shocking every year. Everyone fought fiercely just to enter big cities.
But big cities had limited resources. Apart from the Spirit Masters, few slots remained for ordinary students.
To filter entries, the domain exam was established, held once every two years—just in the winter break.
Chu Guang was busy solving problems when a classmate called out, “Chu Guang, the counselor wants to see you.”
The grade head glanced at her. “Go quickly.”
Chu Guang left the classroom and ran toward the office.
The others whispered among themselves.
“What does the counselor want with Chu Guang?”
“Don’t you know? Chu Guang has health issues and probably won’t pass the medical exam. The whole class knows this. The counselor is likely telling her to give up.”
“That’s such a shame. She’s always been first.”
“What’s the point of being first if you can’t even pass the first hurdle?”
Chu Guang heard this but said nothing.
She arrived at the office and said, “Reporting.”
The counselor was a stern woman nearing thirty, strict and forbidding—many students dared not breathe loudly in her presence.
“You’re the top student, Chu Guang. Even with such a student, no teacher can remain cold-faced.”
“It’s like this: the domain exam is only two months away, and your condition…”
The counselor’s worry was clear.
Chu Guang was excellent in every way except her body was a ticking time bomb. If it flared up before the exam, years of effort would be wasted.
“Don’t worry, teacher. I’ve asked the doctors. They said as long as I don’t get frightened, I’m fine. The episodes have become infrequent recently, so it’s okay.”
Just after she spoke, a sharp pain gripped her chest, suffocating and spreading. Her face turned pale.
The counselor jumped up in alarm. “Chu Guang!”
Chu Guang’s consciousness blurred, but the sharp scent of disinfectant stung her nostrils.

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She struggled to open her eyes and saw the blue curtains typical of the campus clinic. As her eyes adjusted, murmurs drifted to her ears.
“This body is too fragile. Might as well let her quit the domain exam class.”
“But didn’t you want her to take the exam?”
“Yeah, the school needs her to go to the exam. Where else would the slots come from?”
The counselor snapped angrily, “You want her to take the exam but won’t let her into the domain exam class, and you’re still eyeing her slot? That’s too much.”
“Too much?” The loud voice sneered, “All her knowledge comes from the school. The slots are rightfully ours. Why give one to a cripple?”
“That’s because she earned it.”
The other laughed coldly, “But she can’t go. If she can’t go, the slot belongs to the school.”
Chu Guang found this laughable.
The school wanted her to sit for the exam just to claim the slot afterward.
The Eastern Domain had a rule: exam first, then medical check. Those who failed the check lost their slot to the school.
But the school was clearly not satisfied. They wanted to kick her out yet have her take the exam for them.
They wanted the slot but wouldn’t let her into the exam class.
Like a bloodsucking parasite.
Chu Guang touched her chest. Since childhood, she had this mysterious ailment—random stabbing pains and suffocation in her heart. Hospital tests always showed nothing.
It was always like this.
When she awoke, she saw the counselor’s worried face.
She remained silent.
The counselor sat and spoke gently, “Chu Guang, your body won’t pass the domain exam’s medical check. Slots in the exam class are limited. Maybe… you should quit?”
Chu Guang was top of her grade.
If not for her health, she would definitely get in.
But now, her body couldn’t pass the physical. Instead of letting the school take advantage, better to give up herself.
She hesitated. “Teacher, the doctors said as long as I don’t get scared, my condition won’t flare up.”
“But…” The counselor looked at her hesitantly, “Everyone knows about your condition. Someone even told the principal you won’t pass the physical, destined not to take the exam or enter the exam class. Others have objections…”
“You know the slots are limited. The school can’t crush everyone else’s hopes just for you.”
Chu Guang said nothing.
The counselor sighed, “Tomorrow is the last awakening test before the exam, alongside a temporary physical check. Only after passing it will you proceed to the official hospital for a full check.”
“The school means if you fail tomorrow’s check, you’ll be forced out.”
Chu Guang lowered her head, silent.
She instinctively grasped the necklace around her neck, the only thing she had carried since she became aware. Touching it always comforted her.
Though unconscious, the necklace emitted a faint glow.
A familiar voice appeared. “Hee hee hee, little ghost, wake up…”
“Go away.”
The counselor thought the voice was directed at her and stood frozen.
Chu Guang hurriedly said, “Teacher, I’m not talking to you.”
The counselor said no more, told her to rest well, and left.
Chu Guang lay in the hospital bed, clutching her necklace. It looked simple but hid secrets.
“Old man, what’s wrong with you suddenly speaking up? Even as a ghost, you shouldn’t be this annoying.”
“Hee hee, you talk back? You’re a ghost too. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find you.”
Chu Guang took a deep breath. “I’m at school. Why are you suddenly making noise?”

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The necklace voice said, “Enough chatter. You turned eighteen today, right? A full-fledged adult ghost?”
Chu Guang suddenly remembered, “Yeah, so?”
She never went to kindergarten and started school early, so she was only just becoming an adult in sophomore year.
“Show your necklace, quickly…”
Chu Guang took it off. Orphaned since childhood, the necklace and her parents’ house were all she had, and she’d relied on subsidies to study all these years.
“Drip a drop of blood on it.”
Hesitant, Chu Guang let a drop fall.
The necklace blazed with dazzling light and transformed into a book before her eyes.
[Name: Chu Guang]
[Body Status: Damaged...]
[Identity: Unauthorized]
[Heaven’s Eye: 1%]
[Energy Storage: 1%]
[Remaining Nether Items: River of Forgetfulness Water]
[Body Weakness Detected, Please Acquire Energy]
Chu Guang stared at the data, confused. “Old man, what is all this?”
The voice lazily replied, “Cut the nonsense. Don’t cause trouble or you’ll get cut off.”
After that, it logged off.
Chu Guang examined the body status. Though hospital exams showed nothing, this said “damaged.” Strange.
She clicked into body status.
[Current body is weak. Extract River of Forgetfulness Water energy for brief healing?]
Seeing this, Chu Guang’s spirit stirred. “Yes.”
[Body repaired 99%, temporarily stabilized.]
As the voice finished, a cool warmth spread through her, and the heart pain that had plagued her subsided.
“What exactly is this?”
She tapped the book, wanting to see the next page.
[Kind reminder: Your current power is very weak. Please do not recklessly challenge your limits.]
“I’m not a Spirit Master. Even at my best, I can’t beat a gun. How else can I get stronger?”
[Dear, we suggest mooching off your elders. You’re broke, but your old man is rich. Go tap him, activate your physique, and start your path to the pinnacle of life.]
Chu Guang: “…”
She touched the necklace. Mooching off elders… ghosts.
Voices drifted from outside the clinic.
“Who is at the school hospital?”
“Who else?”
“I get it, it’s Chu Guang, that top student burden.”
“Doctor, bring a bottle of medicated oil.” Whispering, “Let’s go, don’t let her illness infect us.”
Chu Guang heard such words often but paid no mind.
She stretched out her hand — warm and healthy-looking.
“It’s temporary. Not cured, just held off for now.”
“But enough to get through tomorrow’s physical test…”