Chapter 1 The Next Day

The next day, the results of the *Tongsheng* exam were released. As always, some rejoiced while others grieved. Obtaining a *wenwei* (literary degree) required high standards, and even if achieved, it didn't guarantee future success.

"Failed again..."

"I've already discussed it with my family. Since I didn't pass the *Tongsheng* exam this time, I'll follow my father into business."

"Alas, my parents have sacrificed so much to support my studies. I don't want to disappoint them, but I'm truly not suited for this."

"This is so unfair! Why are there so many geniuses in the world?"

There was sorrow, grief, resentment, and envy...

All aspects of life and the world were present. Some had taken the exam multiple times but still hadn't met the standards. In this world, obtaining a *wenwei* was incredibly difficult.

Buzz...

At that moment, in a distant place, a tiny figure, like a speck of dust compared to the sun, stood in the void, almost invisible.

However, that nearly insignificant figure, like a speck of dust, suddenly burst forth with endless radiance.

It was the radiance of the Saintly Path, the radiance of great power, the radiance of constructing the myriad realms.

"A Saint is being conferred?! Which great Confucian is it?!"

"In the direction of Jing Country! A new Half-Saint has appeared in Jing Country?!"

"Who is it? Jing Country is weak. Which great Confucian is being conferred as a Saint? Could it be a great Confucian from another country being conferred in Jing Country?"

In the endless distance, several gazes were cast, those of the Saints, trying to pierce through space and time to see who was being conferred.

"How is this possible? This is impossible!"

"It shouldn't be like this! What exactly happened?!"

"Could it be not a human, but another race?"

However, when they saw the figure, they all changed color, as if they had seen the most incredible thing in the world, unbelievable and beyond everyone's imagination!

But apart from them, throughout the Ten Kingdoms, all the people in the world were shaken by this scene. When had they ever seen such a phenomenon?

Then, in the next moment, a voice echoed in the void, from the very center of the light, like a saintly sage of heaven and earth, the voice like thunder, resounding through the myriad realms:

"Wenqu is merciless, the Saintly Path is difficult to enter. I lament the weakness of the human race and the bloodthirstiness of the demon barbarians. Today, I establish the Martial Path to descend upon the world! All who belong to the human race can cultivate!"

It was a clear, cold female voice, ethereal like the music of immortals, as if a goddess from the Nine Heavens had descended to the mortal realm. Each word possessed infinite power, refreshing the heart and soul!

"A woman?!"

Some great Confucians exclaimed in shock. They couldn't clearly see the figure at the center of the light of the Saintly Conferral, but they could clearly hear that it was a woman's voice!

But in this world, when had there ever been a woman conferred as a Saint? Not to mention being conferred as a Saint, even a truly significant female *Tongsheng* had never been heard of in this world!

"Martial Path, descend!"

The clear, cold, immortal voice rang out again. Everyone saw a scene in their minds. It was a woman, her true face unclear, three thousand strands of black hair falling down, dressed in red robes, like the red sun, able to illuminate the myriad realms.

As her voice fell, the heavens and earth shook, the starry sky of the myriad realms was vast, and countless stars resonated. Starlight fell, breaking through the void, illuminating that figure.

"First realm, Martial Apprentice. Open the Dao Palace, draw in Star Power, transform it into Martial Dao True Essence!" After saying that, the voice took a step forward. The heaven and earth spiritual energy trembled, and the power of the stars intertwined. Within her body, a ray of light erupted. It was a brilliant Star Palace, corresponding to the stars of the heavens. The stars shone upon it, boundless in splendor!

At the same time, her aura was also changing. The vast heaven and earth spiritual energy and the power of the stars began to transform, becoming the so-called Martial Dao True Essence, merging into the Starry Sky Dao Palace within her body.

Jiang Xuan shared power, but in this realm, she couldn't transform it into talent energy (*caiqi*). Originally, it was just pure heaven and earth spiritual energy gathered in her body, but her physical body and primordial spirit were strong to the extreme, so it was powerful enough.

But now, she was creating the Star Martial Path, drawing in the power of the stars. The vast heaven and earth spiritual energy in her body also began to transform, merging with the power of the stars, turning into Star True Essence, each strand carrying the light of the stars.

"This is a Saintly Path different from *caiqi*?!"

Some Half-Saints exclaimed in shock. This matter was too significant, extraordinary, and beyond imagination. It was equivalent to contending with all the current Saintly Paths of the human race, and it wasn't a simple debate, but a battle to the death!

"Should we stop her? If this path descends upon the world, our Saintly Paths will all be damaged." Within the Saint Academy, a voice sounded, seeing Jiang Xuan's changing aura, wanting to suppress her and block the Martial Path.

"Wait and see what happens. If this path is beneficial to the human race, even if our Saintly Paths are damaged, what does it matter?" In the east of the Saint Academy, a Half-Saint spoke. It was Dong Sheng Wang Jinglong, a sage who truly devoted himself to the rise and fall of the human race.

"Wait!"

In the other three directions of the Saint Academy, voices also sounded. The Four Saints were the core of the Saint Academy, and they had all made the same judgment, wanting to see whether this Martial Path was beneficial or detrimental to the human race.

"They didn't take action? Worthy of being called the Saints of the human race."

In the void, Jiang Xuan waited for a moment, looking towards the direction of the Saint Academy, revealing a smile.

She had been waiting. If any Half-Saints wanted to block the Martial Path, she would suppress them with invincible power, killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.

But now it seemed that although many people in the human race had selfish desires, at the Half-Saint level, their words and actions would be considered for the entire human race.

With this thought, she took another step forward, and at the same time, she let out a soft shout that spread throughout the universe: "Second realm, Martial Warrior! Absorb Star Power, nurture the Spiritual Body, strengthen the Divine Soul!"

As the voice fell, her aura changed again. Her physical body nurtured spirituality, approaching the Dao of heaven and earth, strengthening her own soul.

Everyone in the world seemed to see a picture, smelting the heaven and earth spiritual energy and the power of the stars, transforming it into a Spiritual Body.

The human body was weak. Jiang Xuan had naturally considered this, so she created this method, using the heaven and earth spiritual energy and the power of the stars to temper the physical body, transforming it into a body close to the Dao, which she called the Spiritual Body.

"Third realm, Martial Master!" Jiang Xuan took another step, and the heavens and earth roared. Her aura leaped again, her essence, energy, and spirit all enhanced, "Transform bones and marrow, cleanse the meridians and cut the marrow, evolve innate martial intent, lifespan doubled!"

Jiang Xuan also called the third realm the Innate Martial Master. This realm refines bone marrow, forges tendons and bones, comprehends the intent of heaven and earth, forms innate martial intent, and also enhances the origin, doubling lifespan.

If mortals had a lifespan of a hundred years, once this realm was perfected, their lifespan could be doubled. At the same time, it was from this realm that the lifespan of the human race could be increased, which just made up for the human race's short lifespan.

When the third realm appeared, the intent of heaven and earth fell on the Saint Yuan Continent, hidden in mountains, rivers, and all things. At the same time, the power of the stars merged into the heaven and earth, which could transform into the origin of longevity.

"Fourth realm, Martial Grandmaster! Martial intent is greatly accomplished, the realm is called Grandmaster, control the power of heaven and earth, walk through the air, lifespan doubled."

The fourth realm corresponded to a *Jinshi* (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) of Confucianism and Taoism, but unlike a *Jinshi*, reaching the Martial Grandmaster realm didn't require becoming the champion of various countries, one could still walk through the air.

When this realm descended upon the world, the heavens and earth roared, and the myriad realms were illuminated by starlight, as if resonating. Cracks opened in the void, and a prototype of the Saintly Path appeared.

That was the prototype of the Martial Dao Saintly Path. Although Jiang Xuan had descended upon the world before, she hadn't yet opened it up, and hadn't evolved herself. The real prototype of the Saintly Path hadn't appeared, but now it was different. With the arrival of the fourth realm, the real prototype was born. Even if Jiang Xuan didn't continue to develop it, there was a possibility of it growing.

Of course, that would require a long time to evolve, and it would also require absolute safety. The conditions were too harsh.

However, at the moment when the prototype of the Saintly Path appeared, a large hand crossed the sky, like a wolf's claw, wanting to tear apart the Martial Dao prototype.

"Courting death!"

Jiang Xuan's eyes flashed. It was the "Saint" among the demon barbarians taking action. A small person walked out from the center of her brows. That was her primordial spirit, radiating light, pointing in the air.

"Extinguish!"

The primordial spirit attacked, materializing. Jiang Xuan was transforming at this moment, turning her own mixed heaven and earth spiritual energy into pure Star True Essence. Her strength wasn't at its peak, but her primordial spirit was different, it had already sublimated to the extreme, comparable to a quasi-Saint, its Saintly Soul immortal. Moreover, it had mastered the great art of primordial spirit attack. With a single finger, it directly shattered that wolf claw.

"Wolf Clan demon barbarians, after I finish conferring as a Saint, I will definitely take your head."

Jiang Xuan shouted softly. The wolf claw retreated, but it wasn't mortally wounded. It was just a finger, and she wasn't at her peak. It was difficult to kill it, but repelling it was enough.

"What came out of her brow? Is that a Saintly Soul?"

The Half-Saints exclaimed. That kind of power was too mysterious. Just a small person, but it directly defeated a strong person at the same level as a human Half-Saint. It was truly shocking.

"Fifth realm, Martial Venerable! The Martial Path is called Venerable. Three Flowers gather on the top, the Dao Palace enters the stars, martial intent transforms into a domain, lifespan up to eight hundred years!"

The biggest feature of this realm was that the light of the stars condensed in the Dao Palace, transforming into Martial Dao stars. At the same time, martial intent transformed into a domain that could suppress a region.

The eight hundred years of lifespan was also the limit that Jiang Xuan could reach after deduction. This wasn't a world like the Desolate Era, which didn't lack the power of longevity at all. Being able to reach eight hundred years was all thanks to the power of the stars.

"Eight hundred years?!"

Even the Saints in the Saint Academy were shocked at this moment. One had to know that even quasi-Saints only had a lifespan of five hundred years, but the Martial Path created by Jiang Xuan, only at the fifth realm, could have a lifespan of eight hundred years!

Even those strong people who were used to seeing life and death couldn't help but feel envious. If Jiang Xuan's Martial Path could really be successfully created, they would also see if they could cultivate it as well.

"Sixth realm, Martial King! Martial Domain transforms into the Dao, will connects to the heavens, flesh and blood regenerate, invulnerable to all techniques, lifespan of a thousand years!"

The sixth realm, Martial King, corresponded to a Great Scholar of Confucianism and Taoism, and also had four levels. The first was the Martial Domain transforming into the Dao, nurturing its own prototype of the Saintly Path, a step earlier than Confucianism and Taoism.

The second was the will connecting to the heavens, that was, the will sensed the stars and could borrow the power of heaven and earth to attack.

The third was the regeneration of flesh and blood. This was what made Jiang Xuan most helpless, because she originally wanted to deduce this level in the Martial Grandmaster realm, but eventually, it had to be achieved at the Martial King level, and at most, it could only achieve the level of limb regeneration. If vital parts were severely damaged, one would still die.

The fourth was invulnerability to all techniques. Of course, the so-called invulnerability to all techniques was just a title, and couldn't truly ignore all techniques. Those stronger than him could still hurt the Martial King.

However, this also made the people of the world excited. They were now looking forward to the Martial Path truly descending upon the world. In that case, even if it wasn't their main cultivation, they could also cultivate it as well, which would make them even stronger.

"Seventh realm, Martial Emperor! Refine yin and yang, transform the primordial spirit, lifespan of one thousand and five hundred years!"

The Martial Emperor realm corresponded to a Great Confucian, the strongest level below the Saintly Realm, with three major realms. The first was the Yin Spirit, traveling thousands of miles at night, inspecting the heavens and earth. The second was the Yang Spirit, illuminating the mortal realm, with boundless divine power. The third was the Primordial Spirit, condensing the Dao of heaven and earth, the prototype of the Saintly Path merging with itself.

If only in terms of combat power, a Martial Emperor in the Primordial Spirit realm could definitely be comparable to an ordinary Half-Saint. The real difference was only in the understanding of the Saintly Path.

At this moment, that prototype of the Saintly Path had already shone brightly, illuminating the myriad realms. Strong people among the myriad races were looking up, as if they could see that supreme power, like a vast divine sun, shining upon the universe.

Suddenly, a sound of contention appeared in the sky, spreading for thousands of miles. Even the human race who hadn't obtained a *wenwei* could hear this sound, and instinctively looked up at the sky.

In that vast and boundless chaotic starry sky, a vast expanse of pure white energy suddenly appeared, like a mighty river, covering the entire world, about to fall upon the Saint Yuan Continent.

This was the Saintly Path torrent, and there was more than just this one. After it appeared, more and more Saintly Path torrents appeared one after another, the Legalist School, the Military School, the Agricultural School, the Miscellaneous School... Until the end, the Confucian School's Saintly Path torrent also descended upon the world at this moment!

However, no one showed a hint of joy, because everyone heard the sound of cracking from within those Saintly Path torrents. In the next moment, the scene they were worried about appeared. The cracks spread at an incredible speed, and emitted a huge sound like ice cracking!

Crack... Crack... Crack...

The many pure white torrents in the sky, like ice layers that had been struck in the center by a giant fist, formed dense spider web-like cracks.

That sound didn't have much impact on ordinary people, but to the ears of many scholars, no matter which school they belonged to, it was like drums beating in their ears and bells ringing in their stomachs, their bodies and minds were greatly impacted.

One after another, human scholars who couldn't withstand this impact fainted. Some scholars even had their literary palaces cracked, that was damage to the Saintly Path, no one could escape it. If their hearts weren't firm, they would definitely suffer.

"Eighth realm, Martial Saint! Rebirth from a drop of blood, edify all people, the Saintly Soul is immortal, create one's own world, boundless lifespan!"

Boom!!!

When Jiang Xuan's voice fell, a loud bang erupted in the high sky, like the collapse of heaven and earth, the destruction of the myriad realms.

Countless pure white fragments were seen leaving the main body of the Saintly Path torrent and falling downwards, like snow and frost, continuously. Taking the prototype of the Saintly Path above Jiang Xuan's head as the core, a large number of pure white fragments were attracted together, slowly merging into one, and the Saintly Path torrent of the Martial Path became even stronger.

At this moment, Jiang Xuan's aura was also skyrocketing, it was a kind of transformation. Brilliant light enveloped her, illuminating the myriad realms, like an invincible Saint, all living beings would bow their heads wherever her gaze reached.

The Martial Dao Saintly Realm was also the last realm, but it was the most vast realm, spanning the Confucian Dao Half-Saint, Quasi-Saint, Saint, and even the Ancestral Gods in the myriad realms, and one could continue to climb in this realm.

Moreover, reaching this realm would bring about a true transformation in lifespan, reaching a lifespan of ten thousand years, truly achieving boundless lifespan!