To Do Good Work, One Must First Sharpen One's Tools

Along with these words, a man approached, not dressed in Military School armor, but with a feather fan and silk turban, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly aura as he walked, giving off a sense of riding the wind.

Looking at this newcomer and sensing the aura and artistic conception emanating from him, Qiu Yan guessed the other party's possible cultivation level.

In reality, everyone within a ten-mile radius is a fake body, unrelated to their physical bodies in the Continent, and they all exhibit the level of Foundation Establishment Peak.

However, whether it is cultivating one's life force or one's inner alchemy, or cultivating one's spirit through one's nature, over time, one will immerse oneself in it and develop a unique temperament that is difficult for others to imitate. One can deduce a bit of one's true nature from it.

Like this Yuchi Leiting, from his speech, behavior and walking movements, one can see traces of Life Cultivation. He may be a person who cultivates destiny. On the contrary, this person who came later, there is not much of a trace of worldly life in his steps, indicating that the false body and consciousness are well integrated. The consciousness can completely control the new flesh and blood. Nine times out of ten, he is cultivating nature.

Of course, this is just Qiu Yan's estimate and may not be entirely accurate.

However, the implication in that person's words made Qiu Yan wary.

"The Original Spirit? Although this term is unfamiliar, I can find clues in its literal meaning. It is probably similar to the Sage Spirit. Moreover, this person also mentioned the Sage Spirit, saying that the Original Edition is not complete. My 'Essentials of the Military Classics' is originally divided into four parts, but only one part is truly complete now. Of course, it is still lacking, but even after completion, it may not achieve the Sage Spirit. Ultimately, it is because I do not understand the formation principle of the Sage Spirit."

As he pondered, Qiu Yan's gaze lingered between the two of them.

"Speaking of which, I have now completed a Human Dao Canon, touched upon the mysteries of the cosmos, and gained a new understanding of the Order Lightning. However, the path for a scholar to become Sage is still not entirely clear..."

As he was thinking, Yuchi Leiting laughed, "Zhou Meng, did you only step in to stop us after seeing your own kind?" As he spoke, the sand around him rose up, swirling around him and faintly forming a pattern, with wisps of Blood-Qi Beacon Smoke flickering and dancing among the sand!

"Yuchi, now is not the time for us to argue, and you should know that very well. But I doubt your Valiant Battle Lineage would consider such things. If it really comes to war, I, Zhou, will gladly oblige." The man dressed in a feather fan and turban, named Zhou Meng, said, pointing his fan forward. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling his clothes and stirring up sand and gravel, which gathered to his side.

A tense atmosphere immediately arose between the two, as if a major battle was about to break out!

Qiu Yan, positioned between the two, felt this sensation particularly acutely; a growing pressure gradually enveloped him. He then used this pressure to investigate the changes in the sand.

"So that's how it is. There really is a secret hidden in the sand, an army concealed within. Qiu Yi and the others I enlightened in the world of Military Miscellany also projected their consciousness into it. After arriving here, the reason why this illusory body enveloping my consciousness has limited its cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Peak is probably for this reason, to use the army as its weapon..."

Boom!

Suddenly, a booming sound came from the center of the area, followed by the crisp, clear, and exceptionally loud sound of pages turning.

The sound attracted the attention of everyone present, within a ten-mile radius. Those who had been focusing their attention on Yuchi Leiting and Zhou Meng also turned their heads upon hearing the sound, looking towards the General-Selecting Platform with surprise.

"Someone's already making a move?"

Yuchi Leiting looked surprised and abandoned his confrontation with Zhou Meng. He turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound.

As if on cue, Zhou Meng retracted his feather fan, his brow twitching slightly as he turned his gaze in the same direction.

In an instant, the heavy atmosphere suddenly dissipated. Qiu Yan, who had been caught in the middle and felt the pressure, felt much more relaxed now that the pressure was gone. However, his heart skipped a beat as he noticed that the information Original Edition being transmitted by the illusions had changed. He had a guess in his mind, and when he turned his head to look, his thoughts were confirmed.

Above the General-Selecting Platform, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Two people were climbing up, reaching out to the many Original Edition figures, determined not to give up until they obtained the Original Edition images.

However, the thunder and lightning changed rapidly, forming an impenetrable screen. No matter how hard the two struggled to grab on, they could not move forward even half a step and remained stuck in mid-air.

Beneath their feet, a layer of gravel gathered together, supporting them and preventing them from falling. Even so, the scattered lightning struck them, tearing their clothes to shreds and leaving them ragged and battered in the wind.

Seeing this, Yuchi Leiting sneered, "These two are too impatient. I've been waiting here for a long time, and the General-Selecting Platform haven't even been called yet. I've been patiently waiting for the turn of events, but these two are trying to make their move prematurely..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred. The sand beneath their feet abruptly transformed, rising into the air and twisting together, rushing towards the screen formed by dense lightning!

From within the sand, shouts of battle echoed, and the figures of soldiers appeared, layer upon layer, shoulder to shoulder, charging forward like an army charging on a battlefield.

However, at the front of this group was a strangely shaped vehicle frame, with an extremely sharp tip and a crystal-clear surface, as if it were cast from crystal!

Yuchi Leiting could finish speaking, his expression turned to surprise. "What kind of weapon is this? These two actually have brand-new Military School equipment? Judging from that crystalline, cold light, could it be forged from diamond?"

Not only was Yuchi Leiting surprised, but Qiu Yan also noticed that Zhou Meng's emotions were fluctuating slightly. However, Zhou Meng clearly had excellent control over his emotions and did not show it.

Within a ten-mile radius, the disciples of Military School displayed their own actions and emotions, and their Military School thoughts began to circulate and converge on the General-Selecting Platform!

They watched intently as the tip of the illusory machine crashed into the electric barrier.

Snap!

With a crisp sound, a crack appeared in the electric barrier.

The two climbers showed delight. One of them reached out and grabbed a book, ignoring the fact that his flesh was blackened by the electric light. He broke through the Original Edition, grabbed the book, and pulled it outwards. The book collapsed, and a strange spirit lingered in his hand!

"It's done!"

Amidst the joyful call and the surging emotions of many, the man tried to withdraw his hand, but unexpectedly, a cold glint descended from the sky and struck his upper arm.

Whoosh!

A flash of cold light, followed by a burst of blood, and an arm was severed at the shoulder. The man screamed as he fell to the ground. Another man was also struck by a whip and fell to the ground with a scream.

The sand, which had been twisted into a single mass, suddenly collapsed and scattered everywhere, and all the scenes within it vanished without a trace.

"Since you're here, you must follow the rules. Before the General-Selecting Platform are called, who dares to make a move?"

As the screams subsided, two figures descended from the air—a man and a woman, the man wielding a knife and the woman a whip.

The speaker was a man clad in chainmail, powerful and muscular. He twirled his long sword, which then flashed like a cold light before disappearing into its sheath.

The two men landed in General-Selecting Platform, where two other men had already fallen. One had a severed arm, blood streaming down his face, while the other was covered in blood from being whipped. The two men writhed on the ground, howling in pain.

"To think you can obtain the Original Spirit ahead of time is simply overestimating yourself!" the man said, reaching out again to grab the strange spirit that was lingering on the severed arm. He held it in his hand and examined it carefully.

"Hmm, the insights are good. Much of the content is inspiring. With time to explore it carefully, the mysteries in the book are not difficult to understand. It can serve as a foundation, contributing to the groundbreaking classic I am about to write."

Beside her, the woman lashed her whip again, swirling it around the two screaming figures who had fallen to the ground, binding them tightly. A row of barbs on the whip pierced their flesh, sucking their blood. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent the scattered sand and gravel gathering around them. This sand and blood, combined with the whip, coalesced into a crystal-clear carriage frame, which was then pulled back by the whip and solidified into a crystal, which the woman then held.

She looked at the crystal, her brow furrowing slightly, and nodded gently. "Hmm, this siege weapon also has its merits. It contains some of the Mohist School's legacy, which is perfect for strengthening our army. It's a way to make good use of waste."

Throughout the entire process, the man and woman remained remarkably composed, while everyone else, including Yuchi Leiting, turned ashen-faced upon their arrival.

These people, who had been eager to try after seeing the two climb the platform and break a small crack, now all restrained themselves.

"Who are these two? Everyone present is restricted by some kind of Order, their physical bodies are only at the Foundation Establishment Peak, making it difficult for them to take flight. Yet these two have descended from the sky. This alone makes them stand out from the crowd."

"Lu Hu and his men have already obtained the Original Spirit of the previous text, yet they still refuse to leave. Are they going to continue plundering? This is far too domineering! To monopolize all the Original Spirit, preventing them from spreading to other Continent, denying these Original Spirit the opportunity to absorb the changes of Human Path —the author will hardly become Sage, and in the long run, Military School will naturally decline!" Zhou Meng suddenly shook his head and sighed. He glanced at Qiu Yan, "Judging from your appearance, you're also Confucian General- general. I wonder..."

Before he could finish speaking, another clap of thunder rang out, the lightning on the General-Selecting Platform dissipated, and one after another, illusory Original Edition rose up amidst the clouds.

"Oh?" The man with the knife turned his head at the platform, his eyes gleaming. "It's finally begun. I wonder how many people will obtain the Original Spirit this time. However, whoever is chosen must challenge me, Lu Hu. Only by passing my test can they successfully obtain the Original Spirit. Otherwise, it just means that person is not qualified to shoulder the heavy responsibility of Military School!"

His words caused a change in the crowd's expressions; many showed anger and disgust, while others whispered complaints.

Amidst these complex thoughts, Qiu Yan suddenly felt a jolt, realizing that as the electric barrier disappeared, the connection between himself and those Original Edition figures became extremely clear and close!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

In the blink of an eye, dozens of books flew over and began to spin around him!