When Fortune Smiles, Do Not Forget the Heart of Disappointment

As Qiu Yan pondered the meaning of the Li Trigram, he sat down and traced its origins, vaguely sensing a connection to the Divine Spirit Body and the Land of the Divine Remains.

"The Celestial Soldiers has already descended, and it is only natural that the Divine Spirit Body are under pressure. It is just unknown whether the Heavenly Court will continue with a brute force attack or has another strategy. And why is there still a risk at the Land of the Divine Remains? Could it be because of those few foreign gods?"

In the Land of the Divine Remains, Qiu Yan settled in Lianxi, and the development of his tribe was on the right track. Even if Qiu Yan did not interfere much, there were not many deviations. They had already passed the stage of primitive accumulation and had a clear social division of labor. In addition to hunting, they also had an organized approach to gathering. Not to mention that, after Qiu Yan's personal instruction, they began to try to cultivate crops.

In primitive societies, food was a crucial element for survival and the continuation of relationships, followed by force.

The Lianxi Tribe was powerful, with numerous subordinate tribes, a large population, and a set of military training and marching methods left by Yin Xiao'e. After eliminating many factors, it was enough to crush the surrounding tribes.

In addition to this, there is another unavoidable aspect to the survival of this tribe: the struggle against natural disasters and environmental changes. Originally, when the Lianxi Tribe encountered natural disasters, they could only flee or wait to die. However, with the method of Contemplating the Deity in the Heart passed down by Qiu Yan, they were like tigers with wings, and were able to resist many calamities.

Not to mention, Qiu Yan also left behind three guardian "Heavenly Gods" for the tribe's settlement.

These three individuals are both gods and cultivators, but they are restricted by a restriction and cannot leave. In addition to assisting the Lianxi Tribe in maintaining tribal safety, they also serve as insurance when facing the Heavenly Gods of other tribes.

After all, in that Land of the Divine Remains, many tribes have deities enshrined behind them. Since Qiu Yan cannot descend frequently, he naturally needs other assistance.

"The recent prayers of the Lianxi Tribe subtly hinted at expansionist intentions. Many tribal Heavenly Gods, after their tribes were annexed, retained their Totem Pillar and thus posed no further threat to the Lianxi Tribe. Of course, this was also due to the deterrent power of the three Guardian Celestial God."

In fact, in the early stages of the Lianxi Tribe's development, the tribes it conquered were those without Heavenly Gods behind them. But gradually, this could no longer meet the tribe's needs, and it eventually began to meddle with those tribes ruled by "Heavenly Gods".

Initially, the cultivators and deities found the invasion of the primitive tribes intolerable. However, due to the powerful backing of the Lianxi Tribe, they had no choice but to compromise. Later, they discovered that there was no real conflict between the two sides.

"The Heavenly Gods control the tribes, to put it bluntly, in order to reduce their own consumption. In the Land of the Divine Remains, they cannot replenish their divine power and Spiritual Qi, so they need servants to do it for them in order to wage war. Ultimately, their purpose is not to strengthen the tribe, but to seize the Totem Pillar."

"The Lianxi Tribe annexed other tribes and plundered a large number of people, but they did not touch the Totem Pillar. This allowed many Heavenly Gods to remain at ease and realize that their goals differed from those of the Lianxi Tribe, and that there was no direct conflict between them."

The descending Heavenly Gods sought the Totem Pillar and, in turn, the Sun Plucking; the Lianxi Tribe desired growth and expansion; and what Qiu Yan needed was the High Antiquity Human Path revealed in this process.

"However, besides these, there is another major uncertainty: several foreign deities."

The origins of these deities are a mystery, but Qiu Yan discovered them after they entered the Land of the Divine Remains.

"What the gods seek is nothing more than incense offerings. Even in unfamiliar lands, they should primarily focus on spreading the rituals. However, in the Land of the Divine Remains, incense offerings were not available. Those gods eventually set about unifying the tribes on the other side of the river, which led to a conflict with the Lianxi Tribe across the water. I also used this opportunity to make contact with them and infiltrate a little of my own power."

However, the other party is also a deity, and many of their methods are not foolproof.

"Those deities are clearly plotting something, and they've also bestowed Divine Ability powers upon the tribespeople. Could this divination be a sign of their plan against the Lianxi Tribe? Divine Path conflicts are not simple matters; we cannot be careless."

Qiu Yan pondered and realized the problem: his and the other party's perspectives were different. It was difficult for the Land of the Divine Remains to gather incense offerings, and no matter how widely the sacrifices to any particular deity were spread, it would be ineffective.

With the Humanistic Fire Seed originating from the Tenth Sun, Qiu Yan proudly absorbed the incense offerings from the Land of the Divine Remains, a unique privilege.

"Speaking of which, those deities seem to have methods to replenish their power, otherwise they wouldn't have lent their power to ordinary mortals without hesitation..."

As he pondered, he slowly organized his thoughts.

"The changes in the Land of the Divine Remains still need to be carefully investigated; they cannot be understood in a short time. We might as well use our Heart Demon Body to go there. The people there are simple and honest, and their hearts are close to their Origin Source. Perhaps we can gain something from there."

Mentioning the Heart Demon Body, Qiu Yan recalled how several Heart Demon Fragment had eroded him during the breakthrough to Dragon Qi, and how there had been some subtle changes afterward. He couldn't help but mentally sort out some recent events and make sense of them.

These past few days have been filled with one thing after another: the Palace Examination, the Golden Core, the Dragon Qi, and the Order. It's almost overwhelming. Only now can Qiu Yan finally breathe a sigh of relief and organize his recent gains.

"After the third transformation of the Divine Soul, one enters the peak of the Third Realm. Once it reaches the seventh transformation, the Seven Souls simulated by the medicinal power will merge with the Divine Soul, and one should be able to advance to the Fourth Realm. However, it is not easy. Each transformation increases Yang Qi. If the Divine Soul itself is not resilient enough, it will be damaged by the Yang Qi. But it is enough to support the solidification of the Heart Fire."

Within his body, his Divine Soul stirred, Heart Fire like a city. Soldiers stood guard around the city, while civilians filled the city. Scholars supported the city, and officials towered above it. A faint, indistinct aura of bright yellow surrounded the city's peak, but it was not clear.

Then, strange fluctuations surged from that soul, similar to the aura of Karma.

"The Ambition Karma of his ambitions are complete. What scholar doesn't dream of passing the Golden List and governing the country? If his predecessor hadn't died, he might have ultimately failed. But since he left behind karmic Karma, it's normal for him to disregard reality and let them become an obsession. However, once these karmic Karma were formed, a Sage's Divine Sense was created, but mysterious fluctuations were also left in his Divine Soul and Golden Core, waiting to be deciphered. Now, of the three karmic Karma, only kinship remains. It seems that we must try to fulfill this last karmic Karma..."

The three transformations of his Divine Soul and the transformation of his False Core into a substantial one were all gains made during this period, which impressed Qiu Yan.

"The City Will and the Dragon Qi the dynasty have now partially merged with me, allowing me to gain insights from them. However, these are ultimately external forces. As for the Military School Order, it is something I have acquired myself. Due to the assistance of my Heart Demon, it is not yet complete. It is similar to that of Grand Confucian, but it is still lacking. I suppose I will need to wait for verification with other Grand Confucian to solidify it..."

The past few days have been very fruitful, and the tedious details are too numerous to recount.

Not long after, Senior Chen and people from Great Brahma Temple came to his door to offer him a small reward as a congratulatory gift, and left their own words, which led Qiu Yan to discover the way forward. But that's another story.

The next day, at the Jade Forest Banquet, the emperor hosted a feast, where Qiu Yan and many other newly appointed scholars gathered together, singing and laughing. During the banquet, Qiu Yan paid respects to his mentor, Wang Fu, and the two established their official titles. This was his Rectifying Names, and from then on, Qiu Yan became a disciple of the prime minister.

The term "disciple" evolved from "disciple" and has the meaning of disciple, but it is not the same.

In short, those who are personally taught by Grand Confucian or Grandmaster are considered disciples, while those who receive instruction from others are considered students.

Before the establishment of the Great Yan, the Central Plains were divided, with the North and South facing each other. The imperial examination system Imperial Examinations not popular, which was the golden age of the Aristocratic Clan families. Even if scholars at that time were full of knowledge and had extraordinary talents, they could not realize their ambitions due to their family background and reputation. They could only rely on the Aristocratic Clan, which made the term "disciple" gradually broaden and eventually came into use.

Later, with the establishment of the Imperial Examinations, the chief examiner was called the mentor, and those who passed the examination became his students.

It is worth mentioning that after passing the Palace Examination, many of the successful candidates also gained the title of "disciple of the emperor".

Halfway through the banquet, the emperor departed, the restraints were lifted, and the atmosphere gradually became lively. Those who had met in the same year chatted with the examiners or sought advice from the high-ranking officials.

In their words and actions, their Literary Thought drifted out, merging with the Dragon Qi, the Official Qi, and the Fortune, slowly transforming into something beyond simple Literary Thought. It was now imbued with a noble air, subtly resonating with the dynasty and reflecting the splendor of the Imperial Palace, gradually elevating the banquet's grandeur.

In comparison, the banquet at the Pang Residence's villa paled in comparison.

Gao Jing, Ye Yun, and the others came over one after another to talk with Qiu Yan before leaving. Zhou Guan watched the lively scene with joy, but after a while, he felt a pang of regret and couldn't help but sigh, "If Brother Luo could also see such a scene and sit among us, that would be wonderful."

Luo Jiayun failed the imperial Metropolitan Examination and returned to Jiannan a few days later, carrying letters home for Qiu Yan and Zhou Guan.

Qiu Yan's achievement of becoming the top scholar in Jiannan Circuit is now common knowledge. Zhou Guan, Zhou Guan achieved the third-class Jinshi degree, is also bringing glory to his ancestors. Even his mother, who came from a humble background, will rise to prominence because of this. No one will dare to question his status as an illegitimate son anymore, and it is not impossible for him to inherit the family business.

However, in contrast, there are those who are disappointed.

Those who passed the exam were overjoyed, while those who failed, no matter how magnanimous they were, could not help but feel dejected.

Luo Jiayun studied diligently for over a decade, treading on thin ice on the path to the Imperial Examinations. In the end, he failed at the last hurdle and could only return home dejected and disappointed.

He wasn't the only one. Those Metropolitan Examination the imperial examinations had overcome numerous obstacles and defeated countless opponents, but only one in twenty or thirty would make it onto the imperial list; the majority of those who failed were the ones who didn't pass.

In the past few days, the feelings of those who were disappointed have filled most of Prosperity Capital. Qiu Yan could not help but pay attention. Moreover, he had experienced Human Path joy of being human and was in high spirits. He could not ignore the gloomy State of Mind of those who failed the exam. So he used the City Will to capture the emotional fluctuations and savor them. He also had some feelings in his heart.

At this moment, after hearing Zhou Guan's words, Qiu Yan looked at the grand scene around him and couldn't help but recall his desolation at the bottom of the list.

The stark contrast between ice and fire, stemming solely from Human Path choice, instantly brought enlightenment. This resonated with the paths of Divine Path, Human Path, and Heart Demon Path —seemingly extraordinary, yet fraught with peril. A Heart Fire his soul, a spiraling transformation emerging, the nascent form of Yin-Yang appearing. A poem surfaced in his mind—

"A three-foot carp from the Yellow River, originally from Mengjin, failed to become a dragon and returned to live among ordinary fish."

As soon as the voice faded, an aged voice came from the side—

"Shen Zhi is the newly appointed top scholar, why would he have such feelings?"

ps:

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