My whole clan is a master, I have become invincible by investing in my clan members

Zhuge Zi watched everything in the field silently.

He glanced at the purple-robed saint and slowly said, "You are right. Righteousness is the protection of the conscience of heaven and earth, and it is also the purity and firmness of the heart of Tao."

"If you can't even protect your own beliefs, how can you carry on the legacy I leave behind?"

The crowd fell silent again.

Many people lowered their heads and remained silent, some looked struggling, and some had determination in their eyes.

Zhuge Zi looked at everyone, his tone slightly sinking: "Next, you will face the first level. Are you ready?"

Everyone looked at each other.

They didn't know what the next trial would be, so they could only hold their weapons tightly or clench their fists and secretly adjust their state.

Then, Zhuge Zi withdrew his gaze, raised his hand and waved, and the world suddenly changed!

The fog in the sky dissipated in an instant, and the surrounding buildings gradually turned into shadows and disappeared.

Instead, there is a huge and magnificent staircase with hundreds of floors.

The stairs lead to the sky, and each level emits a faint golden light, as if it is composed of endless power of rules.

On the surface of the stairs, countless words containing the rhyme of Taoism are faintly emerging, making people feel dizzy at just one glance.

Zhuge Zi's eyes darkened slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "Those who cross the ladder of literature and Taoism must use their own Tao heart to resolve the dangers at every step."

He paused and continued, "You only need to reach the 50th floor to pass the first level."

"If you can continue to climb, you can choose one of three treasures for every ten floors you reach."

"As for the top of the hundredth floor..." Zhuge Zi's eyes were deep, and his tone paused slightly, "There are some small things I left there."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the audience.

"Treasure?! Is there any treasure left?"

"Hahaha, since there are rewards every ten floors, if I reach the hundredth floor, won't I be able to receive rewards five times?"

"Haha, you make it sound so easy, without even considering the difficulty involved."

Just as everyone was talking about it.

A burly celestial monk stood up.

He looked towards the stairs, his eyes burning.

"Even if there's only a slim chance, I'll reach the 50th floor! If I can obtain a treasure from Senior Zhuge Zi, it would be a great fortune!"

"That's right, opportunities are rare. This kind of opportunity only comes once in a lifetime. Who would give it up so easily?"

Another monk nodded in agreement and stood up as well.

Zhuge Zi nodded slightly, "Each of these steps contains the power of my literary virtues."

"Whether your faith in the Dao is pure, whether it is steadfast, and whether you can withstand temptation and hardship will all be tested on this staircase."

He paused, his tone growing colder. "If you can't withstand the test, you'll be attacked by the power of the Dao. At best, you'll be seriously injured, and at worst... your soul will be shattered."

This sentence was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the enthusiasm of some people.

"It's so dangerous!" A cultivator's face turned pale and he subconsciously took a few steps back. "This is only the first level, and it's already fatal!"

"Hmph! If you're afraid of death, then get lost!" an old man in a black robe sneered. "The path of cultivation is a battle for life against the heavens. If you can't even take this little risk, what's the point of talking about inheritance?"

The monk who was mocked by him looked unhappy, but he did not dare to refute and could only retreat in disappointment.

In the crowd, a young man who had just entered the Heavenly Man Realm sneered, "It's just a few steps. I want to see how difficult it is."

After saying that, before Zhuge Zi announced the start, he strode onto the first step.

However, just as the soles of his feet touched the golden stairs, an invisible oppressive force suddenly erupted from the originally calm steps!

"what--!"

The young man screamed and was forced to kneel on one knee, with cold sweat oozing from his forehead.

He gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, but found that his body was completely unable to move.

"How...how could..."

His voice was trembling and his eyes were full of fear.

"Can't even stand on the first floor? Haha, it seems that some force has piled up resources to build this medicine jar."

Someone in the crowd murmured in ridicule, with a gloating tone in their voice.

Zhuge Zi didn't even glance at the young man, and said in a calm tone: "You are impatient and greedy, and your foundation is unstable. You deserve to be frustrated."

Hearing this, the young man turned pale and struggled a few times before finally retreating in embarrassment.

This scene made many people secretly alert.

"This staircase is not simple..."

An old man frowned, his tone becoming more serious.

“That’s why it’s even more worth a try.”

A middle-aged monk in plain clothes stepped forward from the crowd and spoke slowly.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of monks walked out one after another and headed towards the stairs.

However, this enthusiasm was soon replaced by a heavy atmosphere.

"what--!"

A celestial cultivator struggled to step onto the fifteenth step, but as soon as he raised his foot, he was forcibly pressed down by an invisible force and fell to his knees.

His face was as pale as paper, and he gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, but his body was completely out of control.

"Or not……"

He retreated trembling, his face full of frustration.

Immediately afterwards, a large number of monks were defeated.

Most of them struggled between the tenth and thirtieth levels, and were ultimately defeated without exception. Some even suffered heavy injuries and withdrew in pain.

This scene made the faces of the people below the stairs even uglier.

"A Saint-level cultivator can only reach the 30th step? The difficulty of this Wen Dao ladder is too exaggerated!"

"It's more than an exaggeration. This is simply not acceptable!"

"In my opinion, those who can go up there are probably powerful people who have been immersed in the Saint Realm for a long time!"

"Yes, this kind of trial is simply suicide for us!"

Gradually, the originally high spirits began to cool down, and many people began to think about giving up.

Rather than risking injury or even losing your life, it is better to give up directly, at least you can save yourself.

Just then, a steady voice broke the silence.

"How can such a trial be described as 'sending oneself to death' as ​​you say?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw the purple-robed saint who had mentioned the concept of "righteousness" walking out slowly.

"It's him!"

"When he mentioned righteousness just now, he spoke so convincingly. Could it be that he is truly confident?"

"Humph! This is the ladder of literature. Just talking is useless. We have to see if he has real ability."

The purple-robed saint stood in front of the stairs, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the first step.

Golden light surged, and tadpole-sized characters surrounded his body, but he seemed unaware of it. He walked calmly and steadily up the second and third steps...

Although his speed was not fast, his steps were firm and unobstructed.

"It's so easy?" someone in the crowd exclaimed in a low voice.

"Maybe it's just the beginning. Let's wait and see after the 20th level!" another person sneered.

However, the purple-robed saint did not stop as they expected.

His steps remained steady, and he soon reached the twentieth step, then the twenty-fifth and the thirtieth step.

When it reached the 30th level, the speed still did not slow down.

"How can it be?!"

Many people opened their eyes wide, their faces filled with disbelief.

Especially those who had just been defeated and knew the power of the stairs, couldn't help but rub their eyes, seriously suspecting that they had seen something wrong.

The purple-robed saint ignored the discussions and continued walking.

The 40th level, the 45th level...

His figure was like a streak of purple light, heading straight for the 50th step.

When he stepped onto the fiftieth step, a golden light poured down from the top of the stairs, instantly enveloping him.

"He succeeded!"

"The first person to pass..."

There was silence.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the purple-robed saint.

"Who is this person?"

The same question arises in many people's minds.

At this moment, an old man in a black robe narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he remembered something.

His expression changed, and he whispered, "Emperor Wen—Liu Qingye! It's actually him!"

"Emperor Wenzong Liu Qingye?!"

If those newly promoted celestial beings or young saints are still unfamiliar with this name.

But the expressions of the old monks who had lived for tens of thousands of years changed.

They were not unfamiliar with Liu Qingye, and even said that they were so familiar with him that it made their heart palpitate.

"Liu Qingye!" a veteran saint whispered, a trace of awe in his eyes. "The current dean of Baisheng Academy was already a ninth-level saint ten thousand years ago. Due to his profound attainments in literature, he was hailed as a great scholar!"

"It's actually him?" Another cultivator muttered with a complicated expression, "No wonder, no wonder he could easily pass the 50th level. He's the dean of the Hundred Saints Academy, a truly powerful figure at the pinnacle of literature and Taoism."

Someone nearby couldn't help but ask, "Hundred Saints Academy? Didn't it already decline and be squeezed out of the top ranks of the Central Region?"

Hearing this, the monk glared at him and said in a low voice, "Yes, Hundred Saints Academy has indeed declined, but don't underestimate their foundation!"

"After all, that was the academy founded by Zhuge Zi himself. Its legacy spans three million years, and its tradition of literature and art has never been broken. It's just that... because of an incident ten thousand years ago, they closed themselves off from the world and were pushed out of the Central Region's top ranks."

"Old things?" Someone heard the key point and immediately asked curiously.

The old man shook his head. "You don't need to ask about the specifics. Just know that although the Hundred Saints Academy is closed to the public, Liu Qingye is definitely one of the world's top masters of literature and Taoism."

"Now that Wanquan City has appeared, it's not surprising that he showed up. After all, Zhuge Zi is the founder of Baisheng Academy. How could the academy not send someone?"

This explanation made the people around him suddenly realize what was going on, and then their attention focused on Liu Qingye again.

Liu Qingye was seen standing on the 50th step, his figure tall and straight, his purple robe fluttering in the golden light.

He looked back at the crowd, smiled slightly, then turned around and continued walking upwards.

"He... wants to continue?"

"He's already passed, and he's still going up? He's crazy!"

However, Liu Qingye ignored these discussions.

He continued to climb upwards, and every step seemed to be stepping on the rhythm of literature and Tao between heaven and earth, without any hindrance.

Even more surprising was that he began to softly recite an ancient Taoist classic: "Heaven's movement is vigorous; the gentleman strives for self-improvement; the earth's state is gentle; the gentleman carries all things with great virtue."

As soon as he finished speaking, a golden light pattern appeared under his feet.

The pressure that was originally exerted on him was quietly dissolved in this light pattern.

"A gentleman cultivates himself through tranquility and cultivates virtue through frugality. Without indifference, one cannot clarify his ambition; without tranquility, one cannot achieve far-reaching goals."

As he stepped onto the 60th step, his voice was low but powerful, and the golden light under his feet suddenly became brighter.

"If a person does not have faith, he will not know what he can do. Faith is the root of the Tao. Isn't it the same for us cultivators? Only by cultivating ourselves with respect can we achieve the Tao."

When he crossed the 70th step, the aura around him rose faintly, blending with the rhythm of the golden steps, as if resonating with the avenue.

"Without a firm resolve, nothing can be accomplished. A practitioner of the Tao should clearly define his or her aspirations and remain focused on them. Only then can one achieve steady progress and long-term success."

When he reached the 75th step, he paused for a moment, as if giving a reminder to the audience below, and then continued walking, the golden light under his feet becoming more and more dazzling.

"Oh my god, he actually reached the seventy-fifth step!"

"He hasn't stopped yet, he's still going up!"

Everyone was stunned and shocked beyond words.

"The great and righteous spirit is gathered in one body, born from righteousness, carried out in accordance with the Tao, originating from faith and ending in propriety. We cultivators should be upright and have no regrets about heaven and earth, so as to live up to this life."

At the 80th step, Liu Qingye's tone became more majestic, and his voice shook the sky. Even the cultivators watching below trembled in their hearts, as if they were cleansed by some kind of power.

"Those who cultivate culture do not do so for themselves, but for the eternal peace of the world. Those who cultivate culture should not fear power, be undeterred by profit, or be unfazed by emotion. They should use their own strength to protect justice and righteousness in the world."

At the 85th step, Liu Qingye's voice suddenly became high-pitched, and every word seemed to be writing in the sky, shocking everyone.

At this moment, Liu Qingye paused slightly.

A little sweat broke out on his forehead, but he did not stop.

"The Way is never solitary; those who walk it will reach great heights. Only with righteousness and unwavering integrity can one bear the weight of heaven and earth. The Way of Senior Zhuge Zi was never about personal gain, but about bringing peace to the world for all eternity! How can we not strive forward?"

After saying that, he took another step and climbed onto the 90th step!

"Ninetieth level!" someone couldn't help but exclaim, their eyes filled with awe. "He actually reached the ninetieth level! What kind of Dao heart does it take to achieve this?"

"It's terrible... it's terrible!"

Liu Qingye stood on the 90th step, slowly turned his head, and swept his eyes over all the cultivators below.

He didn't look proud, but rather had an indescribable calmness.

"Everyone," he said in a clear voice, echoing across heaven and earth. "The test of the Ladder of Literature has never been about strength, but about whether one's heart is clear of guilt. If you only care about external forces and fail to examine yourselves, how can you carry on the teachings of the ancient sages?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience fell silent again.

Some people lowered their heads with shame in their eyes; others clenched their fists with a thoughtful look in their eyes.

Jiang Beixuan stood behind the crowd, his eyes fixed on Liu Qingye.

"Liu Zi, the Sage of Literature, is able to reach the ninetieth level with the body of a sage. This is quite remarkable."

"If I hadn't come, this inheritance of the Sage of Literature would have belonged to you. What a pity..."

As a repeater, he naturally knew Liu Qingye.

This person is suspected to be the reincarnation of Han Mingzi, the literary saint during the Human Emperor period.

You are extremely talented and have great luck in this life.

If he had not suppressed his own realm deliberately in order to comprehend the Dao of Literature, he would have probably already reached the ninth level of the Saint King.

According to the normal timeline, one only needs to seclude oneself in the Hundred Saints Academy for a hundred years, and then one will have an epiphany, receive the baptism of heaven and earth, step over the Saint King, reach the Great Sage, achieve the status of the Literary Sage, and become one of the strongest people in the world.

Unexpectedly, the appearance of Wanquan City made him end his retreat early.