This magnitude of commitment could only originate from the Heavenly Court, but he was even more curious about the author of the book, as this was the Heavenly Court’s top secret and he wondered how this person had come to know it.

Turning to the last page of the book, he saw it was written by Anonymous.

"Who exactly is this Anonymous, and why is he so formidable?" Liu Ming puzzled, having never heard of an esteemed figure named Anonymous amongst the Three Realms.

However, he soon cast these doubts aside, reminding himself that he was just an ordinary Cultivator, and such secrets were not meant for him to pry into; it was best kept buried deep within his heart.

Looking around, gazing at the endless books, Liu Ming realized for the first time how terrifying the opportunity he’d stumbled upon was.

From that day on, he started to study insatiably, greedily absorbing the knowledge contained within the attic, without stopping even for a day.

That day, he still waited to enter the attic, but found no movements occurring.

Just then, a series of knocks sounded from outside the door.

"Is Liu Ming here?" a commanding voice called from outside.

Liu Ming’s mind went on alert, and he quickly hid his ring. He did not know why the person outside had come, feeling quite uneasy.

Upon opening the door, he saw a Heavenly Soldier clad in silver armor standing at the doorway, majestic and holy, the armor radiating light in the deep night, compelling one to lower their gaze involuntarily.

Liu Ming, now vastly different from before and continually absorbing knowledge, quickly recognized the type of armor worn by the Heavenly Soldier; it was made from a material called Divine Silver, adorned with Runes, and was standard equipment in the Heavenly Court.

"Liu Ming pays his respects to the Heavenly General."

Though the visitor was merely a regular Heavenly Soldier, Liu Ming purposely addressed him as a Heavenly General, adhering to the wisdom that a carriage adorned with flowers is lifted by many—after all, speaking well cost him nothing.

Sure enough, after Lu Ming spoke, the expression on the stern-faced Heavenly Soldier outside immediately turned to a bright smile.

Everyone likes to hear nice words, and besides, it was normal for a Loose Cultivator like Lu Ming with limited experience to mistake someone’s identity.

"At noon tomorrow, the grand examination of the Heavenly Court." Having said that, he didn’t wait for Liu Ming’s reaction and left.

Only then did Liu Ming remember that he still had an examination with the Heavenly Court. However, with the mysterious attic now at his disposal, his desire for the Heavenly Court was no longer as intense as before, since the path he sought had appeared before him.

When the next day arrived, Liu Ming dressed and waited for the call from the Heavenly Court, but as noon approached, still no one came to fetch him.

He couldn’t help but wonder, "What exactly is this Heavenly Court examination about? The time is almost upon us; how am I supposed to take the exam?"

As time ticked by, Liu Ming suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness, similar to the feeling he got every time he entered the attic, making him think he was about to enter the mystical attic again.

However, as he drifted into sleep, he found himself in an unfamiliar place; amid swirling clouds, he saw a massive gate shining brightly between Heaven and Earth, with a plaque above it bearing the words Gate of the Southern Heavens in large characters.

"The Gate of the Southern Heavens! This is the Gate of the Southern Heavens!" an excited voice exclaimed next to him.

Liu Ming turned around, only to see a scruffy young man excitedly shouting and pointing at the sign of the Gate of the Southern Heavens.

"Brother, did you see it? This is the legendary Gate of the Southern Heavens, and we are now inside the Heavenly Court!" he exclaimed excitedly, pulling at Liu Ming.

Such close contact made Liu Ming quite uncomfortable. He didn’t know this man at all, and the man was so close that he could smell his sour body odor, wondering how many days it had been since his last bath.

Unexpectedly, he could even smell odors in this dream.

"As long as we pass this exam, we will be immortals of the Heavenly Court," the young man said with a laugh.

"By the way, my name is Lu Shu; what’s yours?"

"Liu Ming."

As everyone chatted noisily, a commanding voice suddenly shouted, "Silence!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Everyone immediately ceased their conversations and looked toward the source of the voice.

They saw an old man with a white beard, dressed in dark-colored brocaded clothes, standing under the Gate of the Southern Heavens; the voice had come from him.

The crowd realized that this old man was likely the chief examiner, and none dared to act rashly, knowing that offending the chief examiner would make passing the examination as hard as ascending to heaven.

Compared to the others’ nervousness, Liu Ming appeared much more relaxed, as the mysterious attic had already provided him with all the knowledge he desired. Nevertheless, he did not want to miss the opportunity to witness the grandeur of the Heavenly Court.

"You all should remember the purpose of your coming here. Keep quiet and follow me; I’ll take you to the examination site," the old man surveyed the crowd, and seeing everyone was quiet, nodded with satisfaction and spoke.

Under the old man’s lead, Liu Ming and the others slowly passed through the Gate of the Southern Heavens, officially beginning their journey in the Heavenly Court.

Everyone followed the white jade-paved road forward, and soon they came to a junction. The old man led them to the right, saying, "Our Heavenly Forge Bureau is located in the southern part of the Heavenly Court, so we need to take this road."

"Elder, where does the straight path lead?" someone curiously inquired.

All eyes turned curious, the question voicing the thoughts of many.

The old man glanced at the crowd, then said, "Following that road will lead directly to the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, where His Majesty and the Immortals and Gods hold council. Generally speaking, people from our Heavenly Forge Bureau don’t go there."

Liu Ming looked back in that direction, but the distance was too great for him to see the form of the Lingxiao Treasured Palace; he could only discern a silhouette amongst the sea of clouds.

"It must be a majestic and grand structure!" Liu Ming thought to himself.

He was still very curious about the architectural marvel that had been built with the combined efforts of all living beings of the Three Realms.

"Regain focus. The Lingxiao Treasured Palace is of little concern to us; you should concentrate on the impending examination. At least half of you will be eliminated this time, so prepare yourselves mentally," the old man’s cold voice brought everyone back from their thoughts, facing the harsh reality.

Indeed, none of them were considered members of the Heavenly Court yet; they could only join the ranks of the Immortal Realm by passing the examination.

For a moment, everyone’s battle spirit surged, seeing each other as competitors.

They continued on their way and soon arrived in front of the Heavenly Forge Bureau, seeing the small and ordinary-looking gatehouse, which seemed utterly mundane compared to the Gate of the Southern Heavens, like comparing the glow of a firefly to the brilliance of the full moon.

"This is the Heavenly Forge Bureau, the gathering place for all top artisans in the Three Realms," Liu Ming mused as he looked at the modest gatehouse.