...There was only one exam paper. Lu Qing picked up a charcoal pencil next to him that resembled a lead pencil; its body was made of bamboo, and its black tip was sharp and delicate.

It had been a long time since he had written anything, but picking up the pen, he felt no sense of unfamiliarity.

"Elementary Spirit Planter Examination Paper"

"Question 1: Please identify which of the following Spirit Herbs is the Cloud-Swallowing Core?"

Cloud-Swallowing Core? Lu Qing remembered this Spiritual plant.

It usually grew to a length of thirteen feet, with delicate and white leaves that often stretched out in the wind. When viewed from afar in the mountains, it looked as if the mountain clouds were being swallowed and exhaled, hence the name Cloud-Swallowing Core. It was categorized as a Core Grass and used for revitalizing the heart and brightening the eyes.

Furthermore, it typically grew in places where Demonic Beasts congregated. Even within the Profound Heaven Domain of the Xuantian Dao Academy, few Sects or Families cultivated this Spiritual plant because the cost-effectiveness was not high for them.

Lu Qing raised an eyebrow. He didn't find the first question difficult, but for some disciples who only memorized Spiritual plants within the Profound Heaven Domain, it would likely be hard to distinguish.

Lu Qing wrote as if inspired by the gods; the first question naturally did not stump him.

The start of the exam tested the identification of Spiritual plants. The cultivation world was rich in species, including many Spiritual plants that predecessors had never seen, but certain basic Spiritual plants had to be committed to memory.

Identification questions like this weren't very difficult; any normal Spirit Planter could answer them. However, examinations were meant to have varying levels of difficulty. Later questions even featured a Spiritual plant rarely seen by anyone, which was rooted in another domain.

Since it wasn't a Spiritual plant from the Profound Heaven Domain, Lu Qing, having not forgotten what he had read before, only needed a moment's thought to recall where it grew, its characteristics, its effects, and which Cultivators it was suitable for... After the easy introductory points, the later part of the exam included questions similar to short-answer and essay questions from his previous life that required written responses.

Moreover, these questions weren't just restricted to Spiritual plants; they expanded to the Spirit Planter themselves, the relationship between Cultivation and growing Spiritual plants, and so on. The questions could be called extremely short, yet their scope was incredibly broad.

With such a broad topic, if one wasn't careful, it was easy to fall into the trap of grand narratives—saying nothing of substance and merely boasting.

Lu Qing was, after all, someone who had been through this before and had plenty of exam experience. The topic he received was: "Does the status of a Spirit Planter constrain one's cultivation?"

It was well known that Alchemy had its Dao of Alchemy, Artifact Refining had its Dao of Artifacts, and the field of Formations was peerless in slaughter. Yet, the role of a Spirit Planter had truly become a simple job function, contributing resources to the Dao Academy.

Growing Spiritual plants took up time. In terms of cost-effectiveness, growing simple Spiritual plants wasn't as good as learning Alchemy. Although only one out of ten people might successfully learn Alchemy, the value of a single Medicinal Pill was higher than that of a corresponding Spiritual plant.

Was it possible for someone to open up a "Spiritual Plant Dao"? Lu Qing didn't know the deeper situation within the Lingzhi Institute; he purely used the perspective of a simple Cultivator as an example. Furthermore, for this type of question, whether the answer was yes or no, one had to list their own reasons and thoughts.

He was a Cultivator himself, as well as a Spirit Planter. To say it constrained cultivation wasn't quite right, because many of his spells were practiced and mastered while he was planting Spiritual plants.

It could be considered a different way of applying what he had learned.

Of course, the most important point was that Lu Qing felt the threshold for becoming a Spirit Planter was truly low, which had previously given him a path to cultivation peacefully and prepare Spirit Stones.

Investing in Spiritual plants yielded harvests, whereas Alchemy or Talisman Crafting might not.

"This disciple believes that cultivation is also a matter of a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred schools of thought contending. Cultivating the mind can happen on a mountain cliff or in the fields; one should not create distinctions based on status..."

Before an hour had passed, he had finished the exam paper.

He calculated in his head that it had taken him about forty minutes.

He put down the bamboo pen.

After confirming everything was correct, he took out his token and placed it gently on the exam paper.

As soon as the token touched the exam paper, a soft light appeared, and Lu Qing's paper disappeared from the desk.

And at the same time.

In countless pure white spaces, the scene was the same as Lu Qing's: one table, one chair, and one disciple.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle—" Inside the Formation spaces, the sounds of writing and breathing complemented each other.

A layer of an extremely majestic and vast Formation cut and surrounded this square.

Even though they knew other disciples had sat down next to them upon entering, once they were seated, they found themselves in a self-contained space. They couldn't see anyone else or hear outside sounds; the entire space contained only their own soft breathing.

It could be described as the ultimate tranquility.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the square, there were also mid-level and high-level examination sites.

It was the same on their end.

Outside each great Formation, there were Elders in charge.

And on a higher level, in a space invisible to the disciples.

Many Elders of the Lingzhi Institute had already gathered together.

"This Formation has been improved again, hasn't it?"

Song Wen saw the layout of the examination site. The way the Dao of Space was applied was clever and exquisite, integrated into the arrangements. From the Teleportation Talismans to the Registration Guides, one could see that this year's examination was much grander in scale than in previous years.

"In previous years, these disciples always had a stroke of luck mentality. Now, placing them alone in a Formation space allows them to quiet their minds. Answering in extreme silence also reveals their state of mind."

Zhou Yaoming said.

"True, that makes sense." Song Wen nodded in agreement after seeing this scene. Extreme silence was an experience many Cultivators never encountered in their entire lives...