The Path of Literary Way Cultivation

By the Luo River bank, at Jixia Academy.

A boundless Literary Qi coiled like drifting clouds. On the bluestone paths within the academy, countless students held the Heart of Literature Proves the Dao Art, sinking into deep contemplation. Some murmured softly in recitation, others flourished their brushes, and where their brush-tips fell, specks of Literary Stars lit up the sky. Feng Luo stood atop the academy's highest lectern, his own Literary Qi transforming into myriad cyan rays that cascaded down upon the students' heads. Gazing at the thriving scene below, his eyes held a firm certainty—the Literary Way was just emerging; ranks and institutions must be established so that the Human Race's disciples could advance step by step, making the foundation of the Literary Way ever more stable.

Raising his hand, eight gilded characters rose from Feng Luo's fingertips and hung suspended above the academy. Between the characters, layers of Literary Qi intertwined, resonating faintly with the laws of the Primordial World. These were the Literary Way ranks he had set, combining the examination stages from the Small World with the cultivation realms of the Primordial World: Commoner Scholar (Earth Immortal), Talented Scholar (Heavenly Immortal), Recommended Scholar (Mystic Immortal), Presented Scholar (Golden Immortal), Hanlin Scholar (Primordial Unity Golden Immortal), Great Confucian (Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal), Confucian Sage (Quasi-Sage), and Literary Sage (Sage).

"A Commoner Scholar draws Literary Qi into the body and condenses a Literary Heart seed—this is the gateway to the Literary Way;

A Talented Scholar refines Literary Qi into essence, able to form thousand-character soldiers of script and ride the Qi through the air;

A Recommended Scholar gathers Literary Qi into a sea, and Righteous Qi can cleanse all evil;

A Presented Scholar seals the Literary Heart into a stamp, and Literary Qi solidifies into a blade, comparable to a Golden Immortal's Dharma treasure;

A Hanlin Scholar's Literary Way penetrates the profound, and Literary Qi evolves into heavenly phenomena;

A Great Confucian's Literary Heart merges with the Dao, and Righteous Qi fills the cosmos, attaining the Zenith Heaven fruit;

A Confucian Sage commands the Literary Way's destiny, drawing Merit to nourish it, ascending to the Quasi-Sage realm;

A Literary Sage is unknown!"

Feng Luo's voice, wrapped in Literary Qi, spread across the entire Human Race territory, every word landing clearly in the ears of every cultivator of the Literary Way. Before his voice faded, a bright beam of literary light shot up from within Jixia Academy. A young student drew Literary Qi into his body, a Literary Heart seed condensing between his brows, and his aura had already reached the Earth Immortal realm—the Human Race's first Commoner Scholar of the Literary Way was born on the spot!

As this omen appeared, a frenzy of Literary Way breakthroughs erupted across every corner of the Human Race.

Inside Luo Shui City's academy, dozens of learned scholars simultaneously drew in Literary Qi. Their literary light interwove into rosy clouds, and all broke through to the Talented Scholar realm, filling the streets and alleys with the aura of Heavenly Immortals;

In a southern city, a scholar with low Martial Way talent had studied bitterly for ten thousand years. Now his Literary Heart opened, his Literary Qi gathered into a sea, and he stepped into the Recommended Scholar realm in one go. The pressure of a Mystic Immortal scattered the miasma from the surrounding forests; even in the military camps along the Human Race's borders, soldiers who had abandoned martial arts for the Literary Way touched the threshold of Commoner Scholar. Literary Qi merged with martial blood energy, making their combat power greater than before.

The establishment of Literary Way ranks was like finding a home for the scattered sparks of Literary Qi. The Human Race's literary cultivators advanced step by step along the ranks. The Literary Way's destiny and the Martial Way's destiny intertwined, condensing above the Human Race's territory into a ten-thousand-zhang Destiny Golden Dragon. The dragon's scales and claws were distinct; it raised its head and lashed its tail, spouting Merit-hued clouds from its mouth. Wherever it passed, the world's spiritual energy grew denser. Even the grass and trees within Human Race lands were touched by destiny, and many spirit herbs spontaneously took shape. The vitality of heaven and earth surged along with it.

This surging destiny was far more blazing than when Feng Luo had attained Quasi-Sage. It swept across the Primordial World like a tide, and anyone connected to the Human Race could clearly feel this heart-shaking prosperity.

Inside the Human Race Council Hall, Jiang He stood by the window, gazing at the Destiny Golden Dragon circling the sky. The Red Dust Pearl at his fingertip grew slightly warm, reflecting scenes of breakthroughs from all regions. He could clearly sense that the Human Race's destiny was snowballing at a visible rate. The destiny he had deliberately suppressed was now, through the opportunity of the Literary Way's rank establishment, not fully released but condensed to its utmost. The gap with the Demon Race's destiny grew ever smaller, even faintly showing signs of matching it.

"The Literary Way has its system, the Hundred Arts have their direction. The Human Race's roots are firmly planted." Jiang He sighed softly and raised his hand to issue an order: "Establish Literary Way Imperial Examinations across all Human Race territories, held once every hundred years. Commoner Scholars test for Talented Scholar, Talented Scholars test for Recommended Scholar, all the way up to Great Confucian. Those who pass shall take charge of local academies and literary halls, oversee the transmission of the Literary Way. Those with exceptional talent who receive the Heaven-Earth Ordination shall enroll at Jixia Academy!"

Heaven-Earth Ordination referred to those of the Human Race who advanced on their own without passing through the Imperial Examinations—they were geniuses blessed by the Heavenly Dao's Literary Way creation!

The first to benefit from the surging Human Race destiny was the Human Race's Holy Mother, Nuwa, residing in Wa Huang Palace.

In the chaos of the Primordial World, within Wa Huang Palace, auspicious clouds swirled and a Spirit Spring tinkled. Nuwa sat upright on her lotus throne, contemplating the Great Dao of Creation. Suddenly, a warm, rich current of destiny swept up from the Primordial World, pouring into Wa Huang Palace like a surging river, enveloping her entirely. This destiny was blood-bound to her, originating from the Human Race she had personally created—more blazing and more solid than ever before.

As the Human Race's Holy Mother, Nuwa's fate was inextricably linked to the Human Race's destiny. If the Human Race flourished, her Dao foundation grew more stable; if the Human Race prospered, her cultivation advanced. In the past, the Human Race's destiny had grown steadily but gently. Now, with the Literary Way's ranks established, the destiny surged like a long drought finally meeting rain, nourishing Nuwa's Dao Fruit completely.

She could clearly feel the Power of Creation within her body churning wildly under the nourishment of destiny. Her cultivation, which had been stuck at the peak of Quasi-Sage, began to loosen. The light of the laws around her grew denser. Beneath her lotus throne, the faint outline of a Creation Green Lotus appeared. The vitality of heaven and earth grew more active as her Dao power flowed.

Nuwa slowly opened her eyes. A clear radiance flickered in her gaze. She raised her hand and gently brushed it, and Creation Dao patterns interwove at her fingertips, now carrying more of the grand momentum of heaven and earth than before. She looked toward the direction of the Human Race, a pleased smile in her eyes, and understood in her heart: this rise of the Literary Way was no accident. It was a destined opportunity from the Heavenly Dao, and this opportunity had brought her Great Dao of Creation one step further.

At this moment, the Primordial World was already stirring with upheaval due to the Human Race's transformation. But within Human Race territory, the scene remained one of thriving prosperity.

The literary light from Jixia Academy still shot into the sky. Preparations for the Imperial Examinations had begun everywhere. Martial halls and academies stood side by side. The shouts of martial practice and the recitations of the Literary Way interwove, becoming the most unique scenery in the Primordial World. The Destiny Golden Dragon circled above Human Race territory, endlessly nourishing this land and the Human Race people living on it.

Feng Luo stood on the lectern, watching the students below who kept breaking through, and the Destiny Golden Dragon in the sky, his heart brimming with emotion. He turned his gaze toward the Council Hall, respect shining in his eyes. Clan Leader Jiang He's forbearance and careful planning had secured the Human Race's stable development today. The rise of the Literary Way was only the beginning of the Human Race's great flourishing.

The Luo River flowed on, reflecting the soaring literary light of Jixia Academy. Within Human Race territory, the tide of the Literary Way's rise grew ever more fierce. Outside the academies in every city, martial halls stood in close order. The clanging shouts of martial arts and the clear recitations of the Literary Way wove together into a chapter, tracing a unique rhythm between heaven and earth. The Literary Way was not frail. After the ranks were set, literary cultivators gradually explored methods of combat unique to the Literary Way—no longer simply drawing Qi to protect the body, but using literature as a weapon, reason as a blade, and Righteous Qi as a shield.

In a remote, uninhabited forest outside Human Race territory, dozens of scholars in blue robes stood at the forest's edge today, holding scrolls. At their head was an elderly scholar who had just advanced to Hanlin. His hair and beard were white, his Literary Qi gathered into a sea, and Righteous Qi coiled around him like a solid substance. The scholars behind him were either Commoner Scholars or Talented Scholars. Though their cultivation levels varied, their eyes were all firm.

"This forest's demonic beasts are tainted by miasma, fierce and untamable. Today, we will cleanse it with the Literary Way and open a clear path for our neighbors." The old scholar's voice was steady. He flipped open the Heart of Literature Proves the Dao Art, Literary Qi flowing at his fingertips as he wrote in the void. "Commoner Scholars, form a formation. Write the character 'Still' to build a literary wall and block the beasts' charge. Talented Scholars, flourish your brushes. Write the character 'Pure' to transform into sweet rain and wash away the miasma. I myself will use Righteous Qi to suppress their ferocity!"

As his words fell, the Commoner Scholars recited the Great Learning in unison. Literary Qi surged from their throats, transforming into countless gleaming white "Still" characters. Layer upon layer, they interwove into a literary wall over a zhang high, warm as jade but radiating an inviolable majesty. The Talented Scholars dipped their brushes into the void's Literary Qi and swept them across the air. Thousands of "Pure" characters turned into drops of sweet rain, falling into the forest. The thick miasma dissolved on contact, vanishing as wisps of black smoke. The old scholar stroked his beard and opened his mouth to chant the Ode to Righteous Qi: "Heaven and earth hold Righteous Qi, mingled and bestowed upon all forms..." The sound of his recitation, wrapped in vast Literary Qi, turned into a golden torrent that surged into the forest. Where it passed, the demonic beasts' ferocious expressions gradually softened. The savage light in their eyes faded, and they prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to move.

This kind of battle had no bloodshed, no clashing Dharma treasures. It relied solely on the power of words and the principle of righteousness to subdue baleful intent. This was the unique combat style of the Literary Way—using literature to calm the soul, using reason to win over the masses, using Righteous Qi to cleanse evil. When the news reached Jixia Academy, Feng Luo nodded with a smile. The might of the Literary Way lay precisely here: it did not emphasize killing, yet it could protect a region. This was the foundation of the Literary Way he wanted.