Chapter 1

In the vast expanse of the Shenwu Continent, stretching for millions of miles, the mountains are layered and the rivers are picturesque.

Since ancient times, countless ancient gods have been born and vanished on this magical land.

After the ancient gods vanished, the four major races—humans, beasts, ghosts, and spirits—gradually flourished and multiplied, forming a cohabitation of the four races on the Shenwu Continent.

Among the four races, the Saint-level powerhouses replaced the ancient gods who had vanished, and they built a magnificent stardust barrier in the sky of the Shenwu Continent.

Under the witness of the stardust barrier, which resembles a celestial canopy, the Saint-level powerhouses divided the land, dividing the Shenwu Continent into five states: the Purple Profound Dynasty of the Eastern State, the Beast Alliance of the Southern State, the Netherworld Dynasty of the Western State, and the Spirit Contract of the Northern State, the four major races.

There is also the Central State, which is the battleground for the four races.

The four races have been in conflict for millions of years on the Shenwu Continent, and they have never been able to determine a clear winner, so they established the "Millennium War and Peace Treaty."

The Purple Profound Dynasty has lasted for ten thousand years, and the "Millennium War and Peace Treaty" is about to expire, quietly brewing a great upheaval that will sweep across the Shenwu Continent in the chaos.

Below the four races, the human vassal states and beast tribes are in fierce competition.

Blood stains the mountains and rivers, smoke rolls, and the slaughter never ceases.

...

Canglan State is one of the eight hundred vassal states of the human Purple Profound Dynasty. Located in the eastern coastal area of the Eastern State, with its blue sea and sky, it is named Canglan State.

Within the Donglai County of Canglan State, there is a city called Luyang, which covers an area of three hundred miles.

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to brighten, revealing a faint ray of dawn, and the city of Luyang was silent.

In one of the ten primary martial academies of Luyang, the Nan Chen Martial Academy, the martial students had already arrived early to study their morning lessons.

For young martial students who aspire to reach the pinnacle of martial arts, coming to the academy to study their morning lessons before dawn is a very common thing.

In a third-year classroom, a graduating class was silent.

More than twenty young martial students were each focused on their books.

Among them, a young man in a simple robe sat by the window, bathed in the first rays of morning light, diligently reading.

This young man sat straight and upright, his figure slightly slender, his face still somewhat childish, his eyes clear, and his slightly shy and immature face had a rare calmness among his peers.

His name is Ye Fan.

He comes from a common family in Luyang City, a poor family.

In his youth, through hard work and practice, he broke through to the first level of the Martial Artist stage and was admitted to the Nan Chen Martial Academy, one of the ten primary martial academies of Luyang, no longer a commoner without status.

At the time, this caused a small sensation among his neighbors.

Even some distant relatives came to congratulate him, praising his prospects and bringing glory to the Ye family.

This made Ye Fan very proud and full of ambition, wanting to make a name for himself in the Nan Chen Martial Academy and become a renowned martial artist in Luyang.

However, everything changed from the day he entered the Nan Chen Martial Academy.

Ye Fan originally thought that being able to enter the Nan Chen Martial Academy meant he had some talent.

But when he entered the Nan Chen Martial Academy, he found that the ten martial academies gathered young martial artists from hundreds of miles around Luyang, with many strong and talented individuals.

Here, there were also countless young people from wealthy families, prestigious clans, and noble families, who had astonishing talents, rapid progress, and extensive knowledge.

Ye Fan sadly discovered that although he had squeezed into the Nan Chen Martial Academy through hard work, he was at the bottom among his peers in the academy.

But he did not lose heart.

He had only one belief: to make himself as strong as possible.

For the three years since he was admitted to the Nan Chen Martial Academy, Ye Fan appeared in the classroom before dawn every day, trying to squeeze every bit of time and energy into his studies.

Next to Ye Fan, there was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl in a blue dress.

She had long, flowing hair, a fresh and elegant appearance, and a faint, delicate fragrance. She was tall and well-proportioned, with a slender waist and long, shapely legs, exuding the charm of youth.

Her delicate face, with almond-shaped eyes, was captivating, and her every move was gentle and graceful, evoking a desire to protect and cherish her.

The classroom was very quiet, and from time to time, some young martial students would lose focus while reading and secretly glance at her with admiring eyes.

Her name is Cao Shanshan, the most beautiful girl in the Nan Chen Martial Academy!

In the beauty rankings of the ten primary martial academies of the entire Luyang, she ranks third, and her martial arts skills are also impressive. She also practices alchemy, making her a talented and beautiful girl.

Unfortunately, such a beautiful flower is already taken!

Every time this thought crossed their minds, the young martial students in the class would feel a surge of jealousy and anger, with no outlet for their frustration.

The young martial students in the class would occasionally glance at Ye Fan, who sat next to Cao Shanshan.

At such moments, their expressions would suddenly turn cold, filled with icy disdain and deep-seated hatred.

If Cao Shanshan's boyfriend were someone else, they might not have been so jealous.

But it was Ye Fan!

This young man who was at the bottom of the entire class.

Cao Shanshan, this beautiful and delicate flower, was paired with such a pile of dung. How could they not feel a deep-seated hatred and frustration?

Cao Shanshan seemed to be preoccupied with something, holding a book on herbs but unable to focus.

She pursed her lips, hesitated for a long time, and finally made up her mind. She turned to Ye Fan and said, "Ye Fan, I have something to tell you!"

Ye Fan was deeply engrossed in his book and looked at Cao Shanshan with a puzzled expression.

Today was the last day of their third year at the Nan Chen Martial Academy, and tomorrow was the joint examination of the ten martial academies of Luyang.

This examination would determine whether they could advance to the Luyang Academy, which would essentially decide their future prospects and destiny.

Time was very tight, and Ye Fan did not want to waste a single second, even for Cao Shanshan, his girlfriend.

Indeed.

Originally, as a low-level martial artist, it was impossible for him to pursue a girl like Cao Shanshan, who was among the top three most beautiful girls in the ten martial academies of Luyang.

But they had been neighbors since childhood, childhood sweethearts, and had a deep bond from a young age.

Later, Ye Fan worked hard in martial arts and entered the Nan Chen Martial Academy with Cao Shanshan.

However, after entering the Nan Chen Martial Academy, their fates began to change subtly and awkwardly.

Ye Fan's talent was too low.

Although he worked very hard, he inevitably became one of the lowest-ranked students in the academy.

He had been practicing in the academy for three years and was still at the first level of the Martial Artist stage, with no improvement.

On the other hand, Cao Shanshan's talent was very good, and she became stronger the more she practiced. She was now one of the top students in the class.

In the past two years, the gap between them had grown larger.

Her growing indifference and distance towards him made Ye Fan very distressed and even more determined to improve.

"Sanshan, what is it?"

Ye Fan asked calmly.

Cao Shanshan's beautiful eyes deeply gazed at Ye Fan, struggling for a moment, and then said, "Let's break up!"

Boom!

It was like a bolt of lightning, stunning Ye Fan.

His entire expression was dazed, his body stiff, and his hands and feet cold.

"You... are you joking? Why? We've been childhood sweethearts for nearly ten years and have studied together at the Nan Chen Martial Academy for three years. We are about to graduate and take the Luyang Academy exam. Why bring this up now?"

Ye Fan's mouth was bitter.

"I'm serious, let's break up!"

Cao Shanshan repeated firmly, sighing deeply, "As for why, you know the reason best. You won't pass the Luyang Academy exam!"

She looked at Ye Fan with deep disappointment and continued, "You only have a little more bloodline talent than those who can't even step onto the path of martial arts. You are not suitable for martial arts! How long do you plan to deceive yourself? Can you keep up with me?"

"Is... is that so!"

Ye Fan's childish face turned pale, and his slender body trembled uncontrollably.

In the Shenwu Continent, the first major realm of martial arts is the Martial Artist stage.

At the Martial Artist stage, the focus is on refining the body and bones, generating blood and qi essence. The more blood and qi essence in the bones, the stronger the power.

Only those with bloodline talent can generate blood and qi essence.

The maximum bloodline talent is one hundred points.

The ordinary martial students of the Nan Chen Martial Academy generally have bloodline talent points above ten. A few martial geniuses have bloodline talent points as high as twenty to thirty.

But his bloodline talent was only one point!

How useless could he be?

His bloodline talent was the lowest possible, making him the bottom of the barrel.

"What? They broke up?"

The entire class of young martial students was also shocked by Cao Shanshan's words and looked at the two of them.

"Wow, they're breaking up before graduation?!"

From a nearby seat, a young man in brocade clothes crossed his legs, a smirk on his face, and mocked loudly.

His name is Zhao Xing, the strongest martial student in the class and a member of the Zhao family, a prominent clan in Luyang. In this small class, he was a bully, and no one dared to provoke him.

He had long hoped that Cao Shanshan and Ye Fan, the waste, would break up.

Unfortunately, it never happened, but now, just before graduation, Cao Shanshan suddenly said she wanted to break up with Ye Fan. He was so surprised he couldn't express it.

"Pity for Cao Shanshan, she is the most beautiful girl in our class, beautiful and skilled in martial arts. In the entire Luyang, she ranks among the top three most beautiful girls.

If they weren't childhood sweethearts who grew up together, how could a pig like Ye Fan have a chance with such a good girl?"

"Tomorrow is the joint examination of the ten primary academies of Luyang. Ye Fan will definitely be eliminated in the promotion exam and leave the Nan Chen Martial Academy, becoming a commoner. Cao Shanshan, on the other hand, will definitely pass the exam and have a bright future! How could they not break up?"

"Good that they broke up!"

"Too bad it's too late, the last day of the third year of the primary academy! Otherwise, I would have had a chance to pursue Cao Shanshan!"

"Today is the last day of our three years of study at the Nan Chen Martial Academy. Tomorrow is the joint examination of the ten primary academies of Luyang. This is probably Ye Fan's last day at the academy. Enjoy this last day, because you won't have the chance to be with us anymore!"

Encouraged by the loud cheers of Zhao Xing's loyal followers, the young martial students became excited and noisy.

Ye Fan's eyelids twitched.

He lowered his head, veins bulging, trying to suppress his anger.

In the three years at the Nan Chen Martial Academy, he had endured countless white eyes and ridicule from Zhao Xing and his gang. He wanted to beat them up.

But Zhao Xing was a member of the Zhao family, a prominent clan in Luyang, and he couldn't fight or provoke him. He didn't want to cause trouble on the last day and risk not graduating smoothly from the Nan Chen Martial Academy.

"Sanshan!"

Ye Fan lowered his head, lips tightly pressed, and said, "I will definitely pass the Luyang Academy exam!"

"Ha ha, oh my, I'm dying of laughter!"

"Just him, and the Luyang Academy? The Luyang Academy selects one in ten, and only about a third of our class can pass. With him at the bottom, he dares to boast that he can enter the academy?"

Immediately, the young martial students in the classroom burst into laughter, slapping the desks and mocking him.

Ye Fan lowered his head, his ears burning with shame at the ridicule from the surrounding martial students.

"Ye Fan, don't deceive yourself! Your martial talent is too low. With your current strength, you can't pass the joint examination of the ten academies and won't be able to enter the Luyang Academy. You have no hope of joining any of the nine guilds.

My ambition is to pass the higher Luyang Academy and become an alchemy apprentice, joining the alchemy guild. I won't give up my dreams, and you can't keep up with me!"

Cao Shanshan raised her head proudly, her beautiful eyes filled with dreams and aspirations.

"I..."

Ye Fan lowered his head in shame, gripping his palm so hard that it bled.

He felt a deep sense of powerlessness and guilt towards Cao Shanshan.

He knew his words were hollow.

No matter how futile his persuasion, it was useless.

In fact, three years ago, when he first entered the Nan Chen Martial Academy, Ye Fan quickly realized that he didn't deserve Cao Shanshan.

The ten primary academies gathered almost all the talented young people from Luyang.

Ye Fan had only managed to enter the Nan Chen Martial Academy, one of the ten primary academies, by relying on his meager bloodline talent and hard work.

Once he entered the academy, he clearly couldn't keep up with the growth rate of other martial students and quickly became one of the lowest-ranked students.

On the other hand, Cao Shanshan, with her outstanding talent, not only had a beautiful appearance but also excelled in martial arts and alchemy, quickly becoming the third most famous beauty in Luyang.

He could only rely on his diligence and hard work to hint and numb himself.

He told himself that even without talent, he could still make it.

Three years had passed, and the martial students were about to graduate from the primary academy.

But he was still at the first level of the Martial Artist stage, and his martial skills were very weak.

His prospects of entering the Luyang Academy were becoming increasingly slim.

"Before, we were young and naive, and we didn't need to consider anything. But in the past few years, I have matured and understood that my life can't just be a pale love.

I need more, status, wealth, and a better life!

You have nothing, you are just one of the masses, at the bottom of the Nan Chen Martial Academy, let alone the entire Luyang. You can't give me anything but empty love.

I, Cao Shanshan, have beauty, figure, temperament, and talent. I may not be the best in the Nan Chen Martial Academy, but I am among the top ten! Why should I be with you?"

Cao Shanshan finished speaking, her expression gradually calming, and her eyes becoming more determined.

"Sanshan, can you wait one more day? I can do it, I will definitely pass the martial arts exam of the Luyang Academy tomorrow! If I don't pass, if I don't pass... then I will..."

Ye Fan felt a lump in his throat, tightly gripping a book, not knowing what to say.

He only hoped that Cao Shanshan could give him one more day.

Wait until he finished the exam.

If he really couldn't pass the Luyang Academy exam, then he wouldn't force it.

"One more day, what will you do?"

Zhao Xing crossed his legs, laughing, "Ye Fan, you still can't see the situation! You are so useless, how can you match Cao Shanshan!

You are about to be sentenced to 'death' by the academy exam, and you are still struggling in vain! Acting like you can really pass the exam! Ha, if you can pass, pigs can fly!

Only someone with my strength has a hundred percent chance of passing the Luyang Academy exam. I will become a peak late-stage martial artist and be renowned in Luyang!"

He was quite smug.

As long as Cao Shanshan gave up on Ye Fan, as a member of the Zhao family and the top martial student in the class, his chances of pursuing Cao Shanshan would greatly increase once they both entered the Luyang Academy.

"Exactly, no self-awareness!"

The surrounding martial students nodded, looking at Ye Fan with pity and sympathy.

Their burning gazes made Ye Fan feel as if he were being burned, wishing he could hide under the desk.

"No! I don't want to wait any longer. Zhao Feiyang has been pursuing me for a long time. He promised that if I become his girlfriend, he will help me join the alchemy guild of Luyang. My ambition is to become a true alchemist, and only his family background can help me. Besides, I have already agreed to him!"

Cao Shanshan coldly rejected him, revealing the truth.

Since the big exam tomorrow, everyone will soon know about this, so she no longer wanted to hide it.

"What, it's actually Zhao Feiyang who suddenly intervened and took her?"

"Zhao Feiyang is a direct descendant of the Zhao family in Luyang, with a bright future. He is also the top genius of the Nan Chen Martial Academy, at the peak of the third level of the Martial Artist stage, with a high reputation!"

"No wonder! Cao Shanshan would break up with Ye Fan at this time and choose Zhao Feiyang. If I were her, I would do the same. A wise bird chooses the right tree to perch on."

"Compared to Zhao Feiyang, a prodigy, Ye Fan is just a pile of dung. Which woman would be blind enough to choose Ye Fan!"

"I heard Zhao Feiyang has been pursuing Cao Shanshan for a long time, and she pretended to be high and mighty, not agreeing. But unexpectedly, she succeeded just before graduation. It seems Cao Shanshan is also a materialistic woman, unable to resist the temptation of the Zhao family!"

"Poor Ye Fan, finally betrayed by Cao Shanshan! This is karma, what doesn't belong to