Chapter 515: Half an Inch

Injuring Yuan Shaoyang was not sufficient cause for Yun Xiao to lose his eligibility on this day of examination.

On the contrary, the Lu Family had served as Arbiters for generations. They were of noble lineage and descendants of heroes. Meeting the conditions, he even held a certain priority by law for his application.

So, when he submitted his documents, the review was promptly approved, and he received a jade token marked with the number

one

.

Many cast glances his way, their expressions tinged with curiosity. Ten years gone, and upon his return, he crossed the powerful. What was he thinking?

Yun Xiao seemed to live in a world of his own, utterly indifferent to the thoughts of others. After registering, he stood aside, closing his eyes to meditate.

About an hour later, the review of all the documents of the applicants was completed. Those who made it here generally met the necessary qualifications. Even those with blemishes had them well concealed.

Next, Liu Mumu organized the documents while Lu Changfeng stepped forward, positioning himself before all the young attendees, and declared, “The first test is a check of your appearance and demeanor. Men, follow me; women, follow Arbiter Li.”

Arbiter Li was a woman with a frosty demeanor.

The majority were men, around sixty in total, all following Lu Changfeng behind the front hall to a sealed chamber on the left.

“What are they checking?” Red Moon asked curiously.

“Who knows? Maybe it’s about appearance ratings? The Celestial Court recruits Arbiters, surely they consider an Immortal's bearing,” Yun Xiao replied nonchalantly. He was unconcerned either way.

Upon their entry, candles around the room suddenly lit up, brightening the enclosed space.

“Line up!" Lu Changfeng commanded, his authority undisputed. Hastily, the youths aligned themselves neatly before him.

Beside him stood two other male Arbiters, assisting him.

Lu Changfeng held a paper and a pen in his hands, and the eyes of the applicants occasionally darted nervously to this sheet. Perhaps, it was this very paper that would determine their futures.

"Excellent. Prompt obedience is the first step to becoming a distinguished Arbiter!" Lu Changfeng's cold gaze swept over the sixty men assembled before him, eventually resting on Yun Xiao, secluded in a corner.

His gaze quickly withdrew as he cleared his throat, announcing, "The appearance inspection begins now. Everyone follow the command—remove all your garments!"

Yun Xiao blinked, momentarily stunned. Before he could gather his thoughts, the rustling of clothes filled the air. In less than a moment, a whole row of men to his left stood bare, not a shred of cloth left on them.

"Well then!" Yun Xiao thought, realizing why the sexes were separated.

This was evidently part of the Arbiter examination, and it didn't bother Yun Xiao. Some individuals, if they practiced forbidden arts, could be detected by traces on their bodies.

An Arbiter's role in the Celestial Court was a solemn one! At least in terms of regulation, they ensured that an Arbiter's conduct was upright and honest.

If one thought the Arbiter's examination was merely about testing combat prowess or talent, that was quite naive. For a powerhouse like the Skyruler Immortal Manor, character and background were always more critical than mere capability.

Just like at the Primordial Academy, ethical tests held significant weight in the Arbiter examination.

This was Yun Xiao's first time being so exposed in front of so many men, but everyone stood tall and straight, chests out, eyes forward, which made it less awkward.

Blue Star and Red Moon were hidden amongst the clothes strewn on the ground.

"I want to peek next door!" Red Moon said excitedly.

"Peek your sister!" Blue Star snapped.

"Stay still!" Lu Changfeng's command echoed sharply as he started the inspection from the far left, his team of three examiners meticulously checking and scoring each candidate.

Their work was indeed serious.

Lu Changfeng was in charge of scoring, while the other two male Arbiters, front and back, scrutinized each candidate from hair to heel like magnifying glasses, occasionally touching, critiquing...

"Quite small! Haha!" One Arbiter laughed.

"Respectfully, sir, if I stand tall, it’s actually quite..." the embarrassed candidate began.

"Don’t believe you, stand up and show us," another challenged.

Lu Changfeng, standing nearby, interrupted their banter, "Enough talk. We only record the ordinary length."

With that, he waved his hand grandly and wrote "One inch!" in a blank space on his sheet.

After the inspection, one of the Arbiters laughed heartily, "Let’s make a good showing, boys. I hear these documents might end up in the hands of some noble ladies in Sky Soaring City. Our futures might very well depend on this!"

Yun Xiao was the last one to be inspected, and with him, the ordeal ended.

"Dress and prepare for the Celestial Law Exam!" Lu Changfeng said tersely, packing up the thick stack of papers. He then opened the temple doors and stepped outside.

Outside, Yuan Gang, Liu Mumu, and several other Arbiter commanders were waiting.

Lu Changfeng handed the papers to Liu Mumu, declaring, "Commander Liu, after testing, everyone has passed. They may proceed."

"Hmm." Upon hearing that everyone had passed, Liu Mumu didn’t ponder further and took the papers. However, her gaze inadvertently swept down to the last entry. The words

half an inch

gave her pause.

"If Commander Liu doubts, you can check personally," Lu Changfeng offered.

"Get lost," Liu Mumu responded emotionlessly, tucking away the papers, then addressing the candidates on either side, "Those who have passed the demeanor inspection, follow me into the Hall of Celestial Law!"

The Hall of Celestial Law, situated behind the front hall, was significantly larger.

Beyond the Hall of Celestial Law lay the Black Demon Cavern.

Inside the Hall, each candidate was given a table and chair, and the exam papers on the tables were half a foot thick, containing at least a thousand questions.

Seeing this, Yun Xiao muttered to himself, "The tests get more bizarre the further you go. Luckily, I did my homework before coming here!"

"Take your seats!" Liu Mumu commanded.

Everyone took their places according to the numbers on their jade tokens.

"Wait," Liu Mumu turned back to address the other Arbiters, "Scramble the order of the tables and chairs for anonymous grading."

"What are you doing?" Yuan Gang shook his head, "Don’t make it complicated just for the sake of form."

"In recent years, the public has raised objections about the grading of the Celestial Law Exam. It’s not out of the question that some among the Arbiter ranks may have accepted bribes, some even brazenly challenge the celestial laws! My actions are also to demonstrate our integrity to our friends in Sky Soaring City," Liu Mumu explained, raising an eyebrow at Yuan Gang, "Commander Yuan, are you scared?"

Yuan Gang, with a solemn expression, paused before replying, "Having your father involve you in the Arbiter examination wasn’t a good idea."

"Then go talk to him about it."

After saying this, Liu Mumu commanded coldly, "Scramble them!"

At her words, many of the younger candidates, particularly those dressed in fine garments, suddenly looked anxious and distressed.

They stealthily glared at Liu Mumu.

"I’m going to report this vile woman as soon as I get back, dig up her dirt, and have her thrown far from here," a girl in blue whispered to Lu Xiaolu beside her.

"How disgusting! What’s she playing at being so high and mighty?" Lu Xiaolu spat.

"Her father will be the first to deal with her! We're all in the same boat in Sky Soaring City, seeing each other day in and day out. She’s just stirring up trouble," the girl in blue said in dismay.

"Such a foolish woman!" Lu Xiaolu scoffed disdainfully.

Regardless of their private mutterings, a fair Celestial Law Exam commenced.