Under the clear sky, Yan Chuan shouted explosively.

His tongue burst forth like spring thunder.

Causing a rolling roar across the Mortal World.

Every word detonated in Shi Qingke's soul, making his scalp tingle.

Indeed!

The last day of Sword Discussion!

If not proving the Dao now, then when?

"A hundred battles on the battlefield!"

"Who can stop me?"

Shi Qingke soared with his sword, clearly dueling Yu En alone, yet at this moment, all his energy erupted as if he was fighting an army alone.

He danced with his sword!

He roared! 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Shi Qingke's spirit united in a single thought—

Prove the Dao!

Prove the Dao!!

Prove the Dao!!!

"Body unmoved refines essence, heart unmoved refines qi, intent unmoved refines spirit. When you are serenely motionless, feeling leads to communication, thus refining the spirit returns to void."

Shi Qingke's thoughts became clear, all barriers dissolved.

He surged.

He was passionate.

He was exhilarated.

With his sword in hand, Shi Qingke questioned the world—

"Success and failure are up to me, not the heavens, I laugh amidst the smoke of war!"

"Fight, the heavens and earth count!"

"Prove, Innate Dao!"

Great Enlightenment!

Qingyun Cluster!

First of the Second Cang Mountain Sword Discussion, proving the Innate—

'Instantly Create Mountains' Shi Qingke!

...

"Oh my!"

"Really?"

"Has he proved the Dao?"

"With just a few words of guidance and scolding from Yan Chuan, he's Innate?"

"Come, come! Hurry up and scold and shout at me too! I want to prove the Dao! I want to be Innate too!"

...

Yan Chuan made Shi Qingke prove the Dao.

And so Shi Qingke proved the Dao.

Is there anything more absurd than this?

On and off the stage at Chess Stone Peak, everyone was shocked, puzzled, even unconvinced!

Why?!

Is proving the Dao so easy?

Is becoming Innate so simple?

Why does it seem so trivial, how did Shi Qingke manage it?

They don't understand!

They are unconvinced!

But they do not know—

"Shi Qingke, knowing shame brings courage, spent the past year in the Mountain and Sea Realm focusing on challenge venues, surviving countless battles, often near death, experiencing immense fear amidst life and death, but also great opportunities."

"Shi Qingke's spirit reached its zenith!"

"He came to Cang Mountain to prove the Dao."

"Yet until the last day, he hadn't tried, afraid, fearing failure, as if he was in another life and death situation—"

"Step forward, attempt to achieve Innate, possibly fail, fail and perish. Or possibly succeed, succeed and be Innate."

"Step back—"

No!

Shi Qingke cannot retreat!

Over the past year, he fought fiercely in the battlefield, spirit reaching its peak, achieving its utmost during the Second Cang Mountain Sword Discussion, he came solely to prove the Dao, if by the end he hadn't tried, hadn't taken that step, then, from glory to decline, spirit deflates, not saying Shi Qingke would absolutely have no hope of proving the Dao henceforth, but the difficulty would be thousandfold greater, uncertain to the extreme!

Fortunate!

The Heavenly Masters see clearly: "Fortunate to meet Yan Chuan!"

...

"Fortunate to meet City Lord Yan!"

Shi Qingke, proving Innate Dao, immediately abandoned the ring, soared up to bow deeply towards Yan Chuan, "City Lord's guidance like rebirth, please accept Shi Qingke's three bows!"

One bow!

Again!

Three bows!

The grace of proving the Dao, akin to rebirth.

Shi Qingke felt gratitude beyond words, only able to bow deeply again!

"You have the courage to fight in the battlefield, have sufficient ability and luck to return alive from hundreds of battles, lacking neither strength, courage, nor fortune, proving the Dao today is timely, deserved!"

Yan Chuan smiled at Shi Qingke.

It was a coincidence.

He returned from Golden Talisman City, from Tan Valley to Cang Mountain Chess Stone Peak, the first match he saw was Shi Qingke against Yu En, within which Shi Qingke's fighting spirit and blood qi were overwhelming, Yan Chuan sensed it, feeling a mountain of corpses, a sea of blood, he guessed Shi Qingke's hardships over the year, guessed his resolution in coming to Sword Discussion.

Thus struck him awake, awakening Shi Qingke.

From then on, Great Yan gained another Divine General and Heavenly Pride, Yan Chuan's 'Innate Master' achievements extraordinary, adding another achievement!

Chen Ze, Wang Zhengyi, Ding Xiang, Ying Jifeng, Luo Qi!

Shi Qingke!

Shi Qingke became the seventh Divine General under Yan Chuan's guidance!

As for the sixth—

"I just arrived an hour late, actually missed Qingke brother's Dao-proving iconic moment!"

Lu Yu Ru flew in, Wave Riding Micro Steps, having entered the Innate Realm!

...

"City Lord Yan Chuan of Tan Valley City, pays respects to Your Majesty." Yan Chuan bowed to Emperor Yan.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

Lu Yuru and Shi Qingke also bowed to Emperor Yan.

The three Innate Masters, bright and spirited.

Emperor Yan smiled and said, "Good! Excellent! My Great Yan is full of talented individuals, and I am greatly comforted!"

Ying Tianxing laughed heartily.

With Yan Chuan's arrival, Great Yan has gained two more Innate Masters, all under thirty, with limitless potential, Great Yan is fortunate indeed!

"Tan Valley King, such skill." Emperor Yan nodded continuously at Yan Chuan, unable to stop his admiration.

"Brother Qingke's accumulation is right here, I merely gave a little push, just happened to be the right moment." Yan Chuan chuckled.

"Regardless, my Great Yan has gained two more Young Masters, this is a great joy." Emperor Yan looked at Shi Qingke, then at Lu Yuru, then at Chen Ze, Ding Xiang, Situ Fei, and Luo Qi, finally looking at Yan Chuan: "All of you are the fresh talents of my Great Yan, with limitless potential in the future. Gathering here today, as the head of the family, I can't let the children prove their Dao without some expression."

All the Grandmasters looked at Emperor Yan.

Emperor Yan looked at each one: "Shi Qingke has been tempered in death and adversity, returning to prove the Innate Dao, with commendable spirit and promising future. I grant you 10 Primordial Pills, the Fourth-Rank Weapon 'Azure Darkness Sword', hoping you will persist and move forward without hesitation."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Shi Qingke bowed in gratitude.

The lowest value of a Fourth-Rank Weapon is 5 Primordial Pills, and with an additional 10 Primordial Pills in cash, Shi Qingke instantly became wealthy upon becoming Innate——

"Tsk tsk! What a grand gesture from the Emperor!" Yang Wang clicked his tongue, looking at Shi Qingke: "Might as well call it 'Instant Wealth Creation' instead of 'Instantly Create Mountains'!"

Haha!

Yang Wang's envy was about to overflow.

But speaking of which, an Upper Middle-class First Rank Divine General in the Mountain and Sea Realm earns around 3000 catties of Essence Stone a month, amounting to only 3.6 Primordial Pills a year, yet Emperor Yan just casually gave the equivalent of almost four years' income for a First Rank Divine General.

Who wouldn't envy?

But it wasn't over yet.

"Lu Yuru, you have treaded steadily in the path of swordsmanship, with a solid foundation and natural progress, the path of proving the Innate Dao is stable for you." Emperor Yan praised Lu Yuru, then waved his hand: "I grant you 10 Primordial Pills, the Fourth-Rank Weapon 'Weak Water Sword', expecting your future to be as stable, with no end to martial arts, and no end to you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lu Yuru hastily bowed in thanks.

Though she did not lack Primordial Pills or weapons, this was the goodwill from the elder, and that goodwill was most important.

...

Shi Qingke.

Lu Yuru.

Luo Qi.

Ding Xiang.

Situ Fei.

Chen Ze.

Emperor Yan was generous today, praising each and rewarding each in turn, casually giving out a total of 60 Primordial Pills and six Fourth-Rank Weapons, with a total value nearing a hundred Primordial Pills.

Truly opulent!

Unparalleled!

Finally, when it came to Yan Chuan, Yan Chuan was curious if Emperor Yan might give him even greater rewards.

But unexpectedly, the Emperor did not play by the usual rules: "Tan Valley King has enlightened many Innate for my Great Yan, rendering meritorious service, I can't think of how to reward you at the moment. If the Tan Valley King has any demands, feel free to propose them, today I will agree to them all!"

Allowing someone to make their own demands?

An average person would feel embarrassed and might not grasp the subtleties——

Ask for too much?

It would look greedy, and might not even be granted.

Ask for too little?

Better not to ask at all!

As for asking for nothing?

That would not show respect for Emperor Yan.

The best move is to throw the decision back, with a reply 'Leave it all to Your Majesty'.

But Yan Chuan really had a thought——

"Your Majesty." Yan Chuan looked at Emperor Yan, smiling: "I once heard in the Mountain and Sea Realm that 'National Martial Arts' is the foundation of many powerful nations. I originally created the 'Five Fists', 'Five Swords', intending to develop boxing and swordsmanship that the four hundred million people of Great Yan could practice. However, this project is too immense, and I alone cannot achieve it. Therefore, I wish to request Your Majesty to procure 'Scattering Flower Lamp' and 'Returning Light Divine Mirror' in the Mountain and Sea Realm to record 'Xingyi Boxing' and other boxing styles, and organize a 'Projection Team' to tour the Fifteen States, so that all people can know and learn 'Xingyi Boxing'. This way, I can better modify and perfect 'Xingyi Boxing' according to the learning in various provinces, counties, and regions, so as to sooner create a 'National Martial Arts' universal for a country for my Great Yan!"

This Yan Chuan!

Dares to think and speak!

Besides Shi Qingke and a few newly promoted young Innate, most understood the concept of 'National Martial Arts', many official Innate Masters had names and contributions registered in the Cangwu Department's 'National Martial Arts Research Project'.

They certainly know 'National Martial Arts'!

But Yan Chuan's proposal——

"Rally the nation to help him develop 'National Martial Arts'? This is absurd!"

"This City Lord Yan has got a good plan!"

"Returning Light Divine Mirror?"

"Scattering Flower Lamp?"

"Individually not expensive, but too costly in large quantities, how many are needed to cover the four hundred million people of the Fifteen States?"

...

The Grandmasters present dared not openly question Yan Chuan, and only discussed quietly in private.

Yan Chuan's intention to spread Martial Arts throughout the world is certainly a good thing, beneficial to the court and Great Yan.

However, if the benefits to Yan Chuan seem to outweigh, some might grumble.

The court's resources belong to everyone!

If Yan Chuan wants to use the court's resources for personal gain, there's bound to be discontent.

There are many who cannot stand to see others succeed, including some Innate Grandmasters.

...

Emperor Yan found himself in a bind.

He allowed Yan Chuan to express his wishes, already having an idea of what Yan Chuan might request. While the general direction was expected, unsurprisingly, Yan Chuan's demand remained related to martial teachings.

Emperor Yan had considered preparing dojos in the Fifteen States for Yan Chuan's upcoming lectures in preparation.

However!

However!

However, Yan Chuan took an unexpected path; perhaps tired of traversing mountains and rivers, he was unwilling to teach martial arts in every place, preferring to 'rest' by using 'Scattering Flower Lamp' and 'Returning Light Divine Mirror' to establish a foundation of 'Xingyi Boxing' for the four hundred million people of the Fifteen States first, before conducting lectures a year or two later, indeed sparing effort and leading to higher efficiency and effectiveness.

Only——

"The cost is too enormous!"

...