Three Turns of Karma Through Bathing in Wishes

Call!

The Golden List had already been posted, stirring the hearts of the people in the city. The Grand Ceremony of Proclaiming Results the winners was in full swing, generating great enthusiasm among the people.

When the successful candidates, adorned in red robes, paraded through the streets, the flame in the hearts of the entire city was finally ignited.

At this moment, the People's Wishes converged, surging and direct, like a whirlwind passing by. Qiu Yan was at the head of the line, bearing the brunt of it. The People's Wishes swept over him, but instead of bringing a chill, they seemed to penetrate his skin and bones, drawing out a bit of insight!

This realization, like an electric shock, instantly spread throughout his body, deeply perceiving him, and in Qiu Yan's consciousness, it coalesced into hundreds of thousands of faces.

Judging by their faces, Qiu Yan saw different expressions and sensed distinct thoughts, but none of them possessed any extraordinary aura.

These people neither cultivate Daoism nor wield power; their Fortune depend on the dynasty, and they drift with the tide.

The feeling came quickly and went quickly, but the surging public support did not disappear. It passed over Qiu Yan and then drifted past the more than 300 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

Among these scholars, some were skilled in cultivation, but most were inclined towards the Fate Dao and had not yet reached the Soul-Refining Realm; they were merely Foundation Establishment cultivators and could not perceive the mysteries.

Therefore, the People's Wishes passes by like the wind, and these people cannot clearly perceive it, but it arouses the instinct in their hearts. It is the instinct that has been imprinted in their blood by the pioneers of all ages through reason and behavior in the development of Human Path.

At that moment, all three hundred scholars felt a slight tremor. Looking at the faces of the people along the way, they felt that they were being noticed and admired by others, and a sense of mission and responsibility arose spontaneously.

However, human hearts are fickle, and such feelings can only last for a moment before being overshadowed by individual thoughts and selfish desires. Nevertheless, these feelings also become seeds, Cang Xin.

After the People's Wishes had been fulfilled, the parade had traveled quite a distance, and the number of people along the way had not decreased but increased. Many children were being led or carried by their parents, pointing at the parade and receiving earnest advice.

Those sitting on horseback today are their goal, their path to changing their destiny.

The Great Rui, with its hundreds of millions of people, only sees three to four hundred people achieve this Golden List every three years. What does that mean?

How could one not be envied, admired, and looked up to?

This is even more glamorous than any superstar Qiu Yan experienced in his previous life; becoming famous throughout the world is only a matter of time!

In fact, as soon as the list was posted, someone specifically assigned to read it noted down the students' hometowns and sent the information back to inform the officials of the ten provinces. Before long, Qiu Yan's hometown would be decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers to celebrate the fact that the top scholar had come from the Qiu Family, and to inform all of Qiu Yan's relatives within five degrees of kinship!

This marks the beginning of bringing glory to one's ancestors!

"In ancient society, the Imperial Examinations was the path to advancement and the hope of ordinary people. Although many people in the previous life pointed out the drawbacks of the Imperial Examinations and listed the advantages of Western Lands countries, most of these people only valued 'knowledge' but not 'practice.' They did not really understand and simply applied their own knowledge to Western Lands countries without questioning the truth."

Human Path development inevitably involves discarding outdated practices, but this discarding requires certain prerequisites and foundations; otherwise, it's merely blind imitation. For Great Rui, the Imperial Examinations is the ideal choice at this stage, and it cannot be distorted by the perceptions of a few outsiders, as that would go against the tide of history.

In Qiu Yan's previous life, many people admired the Western Lands to the point of dogmatism, distorting reality and ignoring history and reality. They blindly praised it and even had no respect for their own country's history. They thought they were standing at the pinnacle of history, knowledgeable and well-versed in both Chinese and Western cultures.

Little did they know that after the collapse of the Carolingian Dynasty in the Western Lands, the construction of fortresses became a trend in various countries, cutting off the channels between superiors and inferiors. Even later, it was nothing more than a change in form but not in substance, using the same tactic of killing three warriors with two peaches to control the people.

While ancient Eastern countries used the Imperial Examinations as a path to advancement and changed the fate of commoners, farmers in Western Lands countries still had to endure days of nine people per task and eight people per construction project.

The noble will remain noble, and the lowly will have many descendants. Perhaps a few may gamble everything and gain some merit, but nine out of ten will die, losing their lives. How can that be compared to failing the exam?

Furthermore, due to the solidification of social classes, even bloodlines and Lineage crests can become independent disciplines, uncovering the intricate connections between various Lineage. They are not ashamed of this, but rather proud of it, and they hold it in high esteem, making the world believe they are noble.

"But..."

Halfway through the march, the storm of People's Wishes had passed, but there were still faint connections that clung to Qiu Yan. With a thought, the Source of Order resonated with his mind, and the People's Wishes scattered in various places quickly gathered and poured into him!

"In the present world of Great Rui, Aristocratic Clan families still retain their influence and monopolize many things. Moreover, there are extraordinary powers in this world. The wishes that ordinary people Guarding the One often seem insignificant in the face of these extraordinary powers."

At this moment, Qiu An recalled the panic that had gripped Wuxin City when Tang Lai arrived by mountain.

"In this world, those who can obtain extraordinary fortuitous opportunity and achieve great things in their cultivation are ultimately a minority. Most people have to live ordinary lives, but this stability is threatened by many things, which is why people seek divine Thought Projections. The existence of dynasties seems to be for the purpose of maintaining the lives of ordinary mortals. After all, humans are not beasts. It is impossible for them to develop for thousands of years and still be like beasts, weeding out the weak and keeping the strong, struggling for survival their whole lives. If that were the case, wouldn't all the explorations of our pioneers over the past thousands of years have become a joke?"

The parade had reached its latter half, traversing the largest street in Prosperity Capital and encircling most of the city. Wherever it passed, the People's Wishes was stirred, and even the City Will was affected, becoming increasingly turbulent.

This is understandable, as the will of this city is actually a combination of the thoughts of all living beings, and will naturally be reflected in the changes of the people's hearts.

However, this fluctuation also gave Qiu Yan, who was closely connected with the City Intent, an opportunity. The People's Wishes that were infused into him were originally just passing through his soul, but the next moment his Heart Fire jumped up and spread out, like a city, enclosing and besieging, and all the surging People's Wishes were poured into it.

Snap!

With a soft thud, the large horse beneath Qiu Yan neighed. Had the horse handler not been quick-witted and grabbed the reins, it would have reared up!

Even so, it still startled him so much that he broke out in a cold sweat. You must know that the person sitting on the horse was the newly appointed top scholar, who, according to folk legend, was the reincarnation of the Wenqu Star!

To startle the gods, is that not a sin?

Immediately. After Qiu Yan accepted the People's Wishes, his body felt much heavier. He then reached out and gently stroked the horse's mane. The horse calmed down and did not affect the parade.

Then, he frowned slightly, sensing the numerous People's Wishes he had absorbed. "These People's Wishes are different from People's Wishes gathered because of fame; they seem to carry weight. But after absorbing them, my thinking has become much clearer, and my connection with that Military School Order has deepened considerably. I have a vague feeling that I am about to understand it. This should be what Cultivating Prestige through people, no longer simply enhancing one's reputation, but continuously elevating one's status and destiny while gaining fame. This kind of People's Wishes can be formally called 'People's Prestige'."

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan's mind raced again, and four bookshelves materialized within his soul, containing classics, histories, Divine Ability works, and Classics, Histories, Masters, and Anthologies —the foundation of his supernatural powers. The Sage Spirit within them stirred restlessly, People's Prestige.

"My experience with humanity and the respect of the Human Path are for the purpose of exploring the possibilities of the Divine Path, not merely for ideals. Those Grand Confucian, who explore the Source of Order, should also have goals, and they too can gather People's Prestige's minds, and accomplish things through people. It's just that they don't cultivate Divine Ability, and their lifespans are limited. I wonder how much of this wish can be fulfilled in their short lives..."

With People's Prestige focused on him, Qiu Yan's thoughts became increasingly clear. Connecting what he had seen along the way, he pieced together a thread, and vaguely saw something in his eyes, but just as he tried to grasp it, the surrounding scenery appeared in his field of vision.

Without any regrets, Qiu Yan composed himself. "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when rich, one should help the world. Using People's Prestige's reputation as a stepping stone, one should naturally give back. Every bite and sip is a matter of Karma. I have benefited from the help of People's Prestige and experienced the Human Path of humanity. If I do not think of giving back, then I am only concerned with myself. On the path of cultivation, there will inevitably be deviations. This world has its own Order. Only caring about oneself is not necessarily a good thing."

In an instant, the distinction between the Divine Path, the Immortal Path, and the Human Path flashed through Qiu Yan's mind, and with the People's Wishes, he gradually gained enlightenment.

"Some people consider their own Transcendence to be supreme and seek the Way with utmost devotion, but everyone has their own aspirations. Others seek to benefit the world, but right and wrong are hard to define, and they are incompatible with each other. The myriad changes of Human Path cannot be understood without actually experiencing them firsthand, merely by looking down from a high place."

With that thought, Qiu Yan let out a long breath, her body felt lighter, and a smile appeared on her face, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

The next moment, the Ambition Karma that had been binding him collapsed with a deafening roar!

The fragments of Karma merged into the Divine Soul and Golden Core, triggering a Sage Spirit. It was the perfect combination of "Heavenly Timing, Earthly Advantage, and Human Harmony, advantageous location, and harmonious human relations." The spirit surged forth, merging with the Heart Fire, and then a Divine Sense roared out!

Immediately afterwards, within his Divine Soul, the three images of Crow, a goat, and Silver Wolf flipped and turned. The Crow guided the movement, the goat offered sacrifices from afar, and the Silver Wolf transformed into the bright moon, illuminating his soul.

After three consecutive returns, the Yang Qi within his soul grew increasingly abundant!

"I shall fulfill the wish of my predecessor, for you and for myself." With a soft murmur, the People's Wishes in Qiu Yan's soul dissipated. He reached out and grabbed a thin thread from among the scattered People's Wishes!

Hands like pincers, fingers motionless.

Snap!

With a crisp sound, a stick of incense Votive Thoughts were pulled out, filled with longing and anticipation for the God of Wenqu Star!

"A dignified Heavenly Gods, wielding the power of brilliant Literary Thought, yet secretly steals the People's Wishes —truly lamentable and pathetic!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the incense stick shattered with a deafening roar!

In the sky, the stars are boundless, and the Literary Abyss Pavilion floats above them. The pavilion is filled with books, and a stream flows between the bookshelves. On the rocks in the stream, a person kneels, wearing a tall crown and a wide-sleeved robe, with a beard that hangs down to his chest and abdomen. He has a handsome face, holds bamboo slips, and reads aloud.

Suddenly, the reading abruptly stopped, and it took a long time before it resumed as usual.

However, a few more lights appeared in the sky, streaking like shooting stars and heading straight east.

In Xingjing Imperial City, it was daytime, but suddenly the sky flashed with starlight, and a beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping Qiu Yan, who was riding across the street!

Upon seeing this, the many scholars behind him were instantly stunned.

"Another strange phenomenon? When did strange phenomena become so worthless?" Ye Yun muttered to himself, his eyes wide.

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