The Martial Dao's Origins-The Martial Emperor!

Seeing the scene before them, everyone felt their heads swimming!

What was going on?

There had been way too many twists in this battle!

First, with Vice Principal Li's guidance, Wang Kai had been the first to break through to Great Accomplishment in a Fifth-Rank Martial Art. His Martial Skill had surpassed that of many Sixth Rank Masters, and he had easily kept Lin Yi on the back foot.

Then, before two breaths had even passed, Lin Yi had actually broken through to Sixth Rank Perfection in his Martial Art, turning the tables and defeating Wang Kai in a single battle!

Good heavens, since when had it become so easy to break through in Martial Skill? Were these two really just fourteen-year-old boys?

Even the vast majority of warriors who were twenty-four, thirty-four, or even forty-four years old in this world were far inferior to them!

Waves of shock surged through everyone's hearts.

Only after three or four breaths...

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

A series of soft claps rang out across the training grounds, breaking the silence.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Vice Principal Li You, dressed in a Daoist robe and exuding an immortal air, smiling as he applauded.

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful! Both disciples have broken through at the same time to a level of Martial Skill equivalent to Sixth Rank Perfection. It's been a long time since the Guangling Martial Academy has seen such a marvelous match."

"Wang Kai, Lin Yi, both of you are excellent! You're genuine geniuses of the Guangling Martial Academy."

"Wang Kai, your physical aptitude and comprehension are both excellent. Keep working hard, and reaching Fifth Rank in the future shouldn't be difficult."

"As for Lin Yi, despite his humble origins, he's cultivated his Martial Skill to this level at such a young age. His comprehension is even a cut above Wang Kai's!"

"Train hard. Even if your inferior physical aptitude keeps you from reaching Fifth Rank in the future, your powerful Martial Skill may still let you rival ordinary Fifth Rank experts."

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Vice Principal."

Lin Yi bowed slightly to Li You, outwardly grateful for his consolation, but inwardly he only smiled.

Inferior physical aptitude?

What a joke!

If his physical aptitude was poor, then every prodigy on the Nine Provinces Continent would be a good-for-nothing.

Mystic Purple Grade Talent was a heaven-defying physique found only once in a hundred billion people. Even across all the Nine Provinces, probably no one could match his physical aptitude.

It was a pity that the Nine Provinces Continent had no instruments or methods for testing aptitude like those in the cultivation novels from his previous life. Otherwise, his talent alone would be enough to shake the Nine Provinces!

"But there's no rush."

Lin Yi remained calm.

"As I continue cultivating, my talent will gradually reveal itself. When that happens, Tianshan Sect will naturally be willing to invest in me and nurture me."

"Besides, the lack of aptitude-testing instruments might not be a bad thing for me. Tianshan Sect may be powerful in the Nine Provinces Continent, but it still has enemies."

"Throughout Tianshan Sect's history, some of its crazed enemies have even sent First Rank Masters to assassinate its Martial Dao geniuses."

"Keeping a low profile for now will help me avoid attracting those hostile forces' attention and buy me time to grow."

"Once I've truly grown strong, I'll have nothing to fear."

"For now, I should focus on passing the Martial Scholar Examination!"

At that thought, anticipation appeared in Lin Yi's eyes.

Judging from past experience, with Lin Yi's newly improved saber technique and his Eighth Grade Late Stage cultivation, he should have about a seventy percent chance of passing the Martial Scholar Examination.

Seventy percent was already a good chance. He had practically stepped through the door to becoming a Martial Scholar.

And it was only July 13. There were still seventeen days until Tianshan Sect held its monthly Martial Scholar Examination on the first of every month.

If Lin Yi devoted himself to cultivation during those seventeen days, he might not reach Peak Eighth Rank, but he could still become stronger and improve his chances of passing the examination.

"Back to training!"

With that thought, Lin Yi first dutifully stayed at the training grounds to finish listening to Principal Li's lesson. Once classes were over, he returned to the yamen to work as a temporary constable, earning money, cultivating, and practicing martial arts!

Just like that, time flew by, and before long, the first day of August arrived.

The first day of August fell on the Gengwu day of the Renshen month in the Jiachen year.

Auspicious for weddings, travel, sacrifices, and construction.

Inauspicious for burials, cooking, funerals, and visiting the sick.

The sky was clear that day, and a gentle breeze blew.

Though it was only three quarters past the Mao hour, the sun already hung high in the sky, casting down ten thousand rays of light.

Outside the Earthen House of the Lin Family on Liuer Street.

"Haichuan, are you ready yet?"

His mother, Ji Xuan, urged him.

"It's Yi'er who's taking the Martial Scholar Examination. Why are you acting like you're the one taking it? You've been at it for ages, and you're still not ready!"

"What's the rush?"

Inside the Earthen House, Lin Haichuan chuckled as he straightened his outfit.

"My son's taking the examination. Shouldn't his father dress up a little to give him some support?"

"That way, once Yi'er becomes a Martial Scholar, his old man won't embarrass him, right?"

"Dad, we haven't even crossed the first stroke of the character for eight yet!"

Lin Yi smiled helplessly.

"I haven't even taken the examination. How come you're talking as if I've already passed?"

"Hey, it's practically the same thing! With your strength now, do you really lack confidence?"

Lin Haichuan grinned, his tiger-like eyes brimming with faith.

Seeing this, Lin Yi felt a little helpless, but confidence also appeared in his eyes.

After seventeen days of cultivation, and thanks to his recent good luck in catching two criminals and earning more than eighty taels of silver in reward, his cultivation had broken through again two days ago. He had reached Peak Eighth Rank!

With Peak Eighth Rank cultivation and Martial Skill at Sixth Rank Perfection, Lin Yi's strength could absolutely be called invincible among Late Seventh Rank warriors. He could even give Peak Seventh Rank warriors a run for their money.

And Peak Seventh Rank was enough to guarantee a pass.

With strength like his, Lin Yi was not quite certain to pass this Martial Scholar Examination, but he was close.

"All done! All done! Finally got myself ready! Son, Xuanxuan, let's go to the City Lord's Mansion for the examination!"

Just as Lin Yi was thinking, Lin Haichuan finished straightening his clothes.

He wore a vermilion-red curved-hem robe, a belt around his waist, and a crown on his head. Looking both imposing and festive, he strode ahead, leading Lin Yi and Ji Xuan toward the City Lord's Mansion.

The City Lord's Mansion stood in the center of Guangling Prefecture City. It covered a vast area and was magnificent beyond compare.

From afar, it looked like a giant beast crouching on the ground, its presence awe-inspiring.

In front of the City Lord's Mansion was a huge square capable of holding tens of thousands of people.

At the center of the square stood a human-shaped statue more than thirty meters tall, towering over every building around it.

When Lin Yi and his family arrived, they saw that many of the people taking the Martial Scholar Examination that day had already gathered at the statue's feet with their families, offering flowers and paying their respects.

"Come on, Yi'er, Xuanxuan. Let's pay our respects to the Martial Emperor at his statue."

Lin Haichuan spoke, then solemnly carried the flower basket they had bought along the way and joined the crowd waiting to pay their respects.

"Yes, Father!"

Lin Yi did not object. His expression turned solemn, and he joined his parents in line.

This wasn't superstition. It was reverence.

The Martial Emperor was the source of this world's Martial Dao!

According to legend, thousands of years ago, the Jiuzhou World was a wilderness. Humanity was weak and had become food for the myriad races.

Some incredibly powerful and wise great demons even raised large groups of humans as livestock, slaughtering them for food at will. The entire human race lived in misery and fear.

Fortunately, the Martial Emperor had emerged at that time. He created the Martial Dao, slew great demons, and subdued the myriad races. In a mere hundred years, he had led humanity from the bottom of the myriad races to become the foremost people of the Nine Provinces!

Afterward, the Martial Emperor established the Holy Martial Dynasty and unified the Nine Provinces, cementing humanity's rule once and for all. After reigning supreme over the world and suppressing the mortal realm for three hundred years, he ascended through the void, leaving behind countless legends and inheritances throughout the Nine Provinces.

For instance, the Bronze Automaton Lin Yi had fought while practicing martial arts at the Martial Arts Academy had been created using an inheritance left by the Martial Emperor. Even the technologically advanced world from Lin Yi's previous life had lacked anything like that. It was truly astonishing.

There were also inheritances such as Pill Dao, Artifact Dao, and many others. Most had either been founded or passed down by the Martial Emperor as well.

So even though Lin Yi had transmigrated from another world, as long as he practiced martial arts—or even simply lived in this world—he was benefiting from the Martial Emperor's legacy. Naturally, he had to show the Martial Emperor respect.

As his thoughts turned, a little while later, it was finally the Lin family's turn to make offerings beneath the Martial Emperor's statue.

Lin Yi and Lin Haichuan placed their flower basket at the foot of the statue, then solemnly bowed three times.

After paying her respects, his mother, Ji Xuan, kept her eyes closed and murmured under her breath.

"Your humble servant, Ji Xuan, begs the great Martial Emperor to show mercy and bless my son so he can pass the Martial Scholar Examination today. Please bless him with a smooth Martial Dao path and a safe, peaceful life..."

Ji Xuan kept murmuring for another twenty or thirty breaths before finally opening her eyes. She bowed three more times, then left with Lin Yi and his father. They found a spot in the square and waited quietly.

Time passed. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the heat grew more intense, making everyone increasingly restless.

Finally, as the time approached the Si hour, movement came from within the City Lord's Mansion, whose gates had remained firmly shut.

"Creak, creak, creak—"

The five-meter-tall gates of the City Lord's Mansion slowly opened. A burly, imposing middle-aged man dressed in a purple robe strode out like a dragon among tigers, surrounded by several hundred people.

First, he led everyone in bowing respectfully three times before the Martial Emperor's statue. Only then did he turn to the square and speak in a commanding voice that boomed like thunder.

"I am Zong Yuanwang, City Lord of Guangling Prefecture City. Thanks to the sect's esteem, I have been entrusted with this position. Today, by the sect's command, I will hold the Martial Scholar Examination as usual and select outstanding talent for the sect."

"Warriors who registered for the examination in the past few days, come forward now with your candidate credentials to receive your examination numbers and prepare to take the test."

"All other unrelated individuals, move to the sides at once and leave the center of the square to the examinees."

"Yes, City Lord!"

The moment Zong Yuanwang finished speaking, everyone in the square answered respectfully.

Then, with the City Lord's Mansion soldiers directing the crowd, one group moved to the sides while the examinees lined up with the candidate credentials issued by the City Lord's Mansion, which resembled invitations, to have them checked.

Seeing this, Lin Yi smiled at his parents.

"Dad, Mom, I'm going!"

"Mm! Yi'er, be careful and don't get nervous!"

"Yi'er, do your best! Dad believes in you!"

Ji Xuan and Lin Haichuan encouraged Lin Yi at the same time.

Lin Yi nodded, took a deep breath, and joined the line to have his credentials checked.

The City Lord's Mansion staff worked efficiently. In barely the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Lin Yi had received a number: "Jia Yi Number Thirty-Six."

Seeing this, Lin Yi followed the order of the numbers and joined a queue.

After that, they waited for about another quarter of an hour. Once all the warriors had received their numbers and formed orderly lines, the imposing man, Zong Yuanwang, finally spoke again beneath the Martial Emperor's statue.

"Everything is ready. I hereby announce that the Tianshan Sect's Guangling Prefecture City 3621st Session of the Martial Scholar Examination officially begins!"