In the Wei Nation Tribute Courtyard.

There were also quite a few students from the Ten Nations who were there for the final assessment.

Many cultivators rushed directly to the Tribute Courtyard after they passed the physical body pagoda.

They did not want to delay any longer. After all, after knowing that they could not break the record, they decided that it was better to hurry to the Tribute Courtyard and revise.

Besides, because the third round was a literary test, there was a large number of cultivators gathered outside the Tribute Courtyard.

After all, it was interesting to see some literary battles after having watched so many fights between elites.

“It’s Elite Ye.”

“Senior Brother Ye is here.”

“Tsk, tsk, it must be great to have a son like Elite Ye.”

“I wonder how good Senior Brother Ye’s literary skills are.”

“Senior Brother Ye looks just like a literati, I bet his literary skills are excellent.”

“Yeah. Senior Brother Ye looks like a learned person, it shouldn’t be too bad.”

Everyone discussed among themselves and they all felt that Ye Ping’s aura was like that of a Confucian scholar. They subconsciously felt that Ye Ping was a well-educated person.

In the Wei Nation Tribute Courtyard, Ye Ping bowed at the crowd politely.

At this moment, there were many books placed on the left and right sides below the Tribute Courtyard where several elders were guarding.

“Ye Ping, the literary test questions can be found among the books on these two sides, you may read them first.”

“Once you step into the Tribute Courtyard, you cannot leave. You have to be cautious.”

The elder informed Ye Ping that the literary test questions could be found among the books placed on both sides.

Once he stepped into the Tribute Courtyard, he would not be able to leave.

“Thank you for the reminder, Elder.”

Ye Ping nodded. He wasn’t very confident about the literary test, although he had relied on the literature he learned in his previous life to steal the limelight when he first transmigrated.

However, the literary test was different, and no matter how well-written one’s essay was, they would not be able to pass the test if the essay was off-topic.

Hence, Ye Ping flipped through the books on the desks on both sides conscientiously and read them carefully.

There was a total of hundreds of books, most of which were the records of events and persons. Ye Ping read them carefully, not daring to miss anything.

Two full hours passed.

Ye Ping read all hundreds of books and remembered them clearly.

After making sure that he had no doubts, Ye Ping entered the Tribute Courtyard.

At this moment…

In the Tribute Courtyard, there were hundreds of books placed on the desks and only half of the participating students were present. Most of them were either still in the physical body pagoda or reading some books outside.

After all, the literary test was a bit of a headache for many cultivators.

Despite being knowledgeable, they were still quite troubled when it came to writing essays.

“Exalted Immortal, come with me.”

At this moment, the boy in the Tribute Courtyard led Ye Ping towards a desk.

There were three red wooden blocks.

Pointing at the blocks, the boy said, “Exalted Immortal, the test questions are in these wooden blocks.”

Ye Ping nodded and thanked him before turning the wooden blocks over.

The word “Persuasion” was carved on the first block.

The word “Luck” was carved on the second block.

The word “Outstanding Figure” was carved on the third block.

The so-called literary test required the candidate to write an essay based on one of the topics. The three topics were meant for testing the abilities of the literati.

If the essay written was completely in line with the test question, it would be considered a writing of superior quality even if it was essentially inferior.

An essay was an essay. A literary test was a literary test.

The most important thing about a literary test was answering the question and staying relevant to the topic while the most important thing about an essay was its connotation.

After seeing the test questions, Ye Ping couldn’t help but be slightly stunned.

At the thought of the books outside, Ye Ping was suddenly enlightened.

Indeed, the test questions were hidden in the books.

Ye Ping did not move his brush immediately and instead pondered about it.

He was thinking about what essay he was going to write.

Persuasion, luck, outstanding figure.

He just had to pick one.

However, if he wanted to score well, the essay he wrote would have to be relevant to the question.

Ye Ping was confident of writing a perfect essay about any of the three topics.

However, it would be difficult to write all three.

“Ah!!! How exactly should I write it?”

In the Tribute Courtyard, a cultivator couldn’t help but frown as he dropped his brush and the ink from it stained the essay. He howled while his eyes were bloodshot.

“No one is to be noisy in the Tribute Courtyard, chase him away.”

All of a sudden, a loud voice filled the air.

It was the voice of the examiner, the Great Confucian of the Ten Nations. In an instant, an invisible force sent the student flying out of the Tribute Courtyard.

That was the power of the great Confucian who was proficient in language.

Watching everything before him, Ye Ping couldn’t help but be emotional as he didn’t expect the literati to actually have this ability. If he had known earlier, he might have chosen to take the path of Confucianism.

However, it was now not the time to think about this.

Ye Ping closed his eyes tightly.

He was deep in thought as several excellent essays flashed through his mind.

Unfortunately, none of them was relevant to the topic. To be more precise, none of them fit the three topics given.

“Ah.”

He had a headache.

Two full hours passed.

When Ye Ping was thinking about it, a gust of cold breeze suddenly blew over slowly.

The breeze crumpled Ye Ping’s long shirt.

However, Ye Ping seemed to have an epiphany in an instant.

‘Persuasion, luck, outstanding figure?’

At this moment, there was an essay in Ye Ping’s mind.

In the next moment, the article seemed to have appeared in his mind like a bright sun.

“This is the essay!”

“This is the essay!”

“This is the essay!”

Ye Ping clenched his fist in euphoria. For a literati, an epiphany and a clear train of thought was an opportunity that was hard to come by.

After pondering hard for two hours, the feeling of suddenly becoming enlightened made his scalp tingle and turn numb.

Phew!

Ye Ping exhaled deeply and then waved his hand while a light green wolf-fur brush appeared between his fingers.

At the next moment, Ye Ping began writing on the blank sheet of rice paper.

“This world is full of unpredictable possibilities. There are ups and downs in life.”

“A centipede has a hundred feet but it’s slower than a snake.”

“A rooster may have wings but it can’t fly like a bird.”

“A good stallion can travel across miles but there must be someone riding it.”

“Everyone has ambitions, but one can only excel if there’s luck and opportunity.”

Ye Ping put down his brush. He had put his essence and energy into every word he wrote.

However, the moment Ye Ping put down his brush, a beam of golden light burst out from the entire sheet of rice paper.

Boom!

At this moment, a stone statue in the courtyard trembled. The stone statues were that of the great scholars of the Ten Nations, and the people who could have their statues erected in the Tribute Courtyard were not ordinary Confucians.

They were great Confucians who had been recognized by heaven and earth, and mastered the power of language. Each word they spoke or wrote could convey the orders of heaven, and they were existences who held authority. All their orders would be enforced.

The three examiners of this examination were also the great scholars of the Ten Nations, but they were not qualified to have their statues erected in the Tribute Courtyard.

However, the stone statue of the great Confucian in the courtyard suddenly trembled, attracting the attention of countless spectators.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

“Guys, look, the essay written by Senior Brother Ye is actually glowing.”

“What kind of divine ability is this? I want to learn it too.”

“Each word of his is precious as gold. Each word of his is really precious as gold.”

“What does that mean?”

“What kind of essay did Senior Brother Ye write? How can each word of it be worth a thousand gold?”

All the participating students in the Tribute Courtyard couldn’t help but be shocked, especially a few students who instantly understood what was going on. Their eyes widened greatly as they stared at Ye Ping.

“What exactly does it mean for each word to be worth a thousand gold? Is it very precious?”

Some people still didn’t understand and couldn’t help but inquire.

“You’re such an illiterate. That just means that the essay is very valuable and precious but it’s just figurative language. It doesn’t really mean that each word of the essay is worth a thousand taels of gold, but rather, it just means that it’s very precious.”

“Yes, usually, only nation-stabilizing essays would show such signs. Each nation-stabilizing essay is precious and would suppress the luck of a nation. I didn’t expect Senior Brother Ye to not only have impressive abilities, but also excellent literary skills.”

“It should be a nation-stabilizing essay. Oh my God, a nation-stabilizing essay is one that even a great Confucian cannot write. Since ancient times, a nation-stabilizing essay would appear only during the Ten Nations Examination. This nation-stabilizing essay will stabilize the luck of a nation.”

“The essay stabilizes the nation. If Senior Brother Ye completes this essay, he can directly achieve the position of great Confucian and advance greatly.”

In the Tribute Courtyard, there were also some cultivators who knew about the literary test and the division of literati. Hence, they couldn’t help but be astonished.

“What? He can become a great Confucian with just one essay?”

“Is it true? You can become a great Confucian with just one essay?”

“There are only seven great Confucian scholars in the entire Wei Nation, and you’re saying that a random essay is all it takes to become a great Confucian scholar?”

However, some people were shocked and did not believe that a single essay could allow one to become a great Confucian scholar.

In their opinion, no matter how good an essay was, it shouldn’t make someone become a great Confucian scholar right away.

“Ridiculous, do you think that Confucianism is the same as cultivation? Confucianism is all about attaining the Dao in one day. Besides, what do you mean a random essay? Open your eyes and take a good look, this is a nation-stabilizing essay. Even a great Confucian scholar might not be able to write it.”

“Yes, it’s a nation-stabilizing essay. There are seven great Confucian scholars in Wei Nation, but only one of them has written a nation-stabilizing essay and gained the recognition of heaven and earth. As the great Confucian scholar of the world, his words command great power and can reach the sky.”

“I’m feeling so sour. Senior Brother Ye is really godly. He has such a terrifying cultivation level and his physical body is intimidating. I didn’t expect his literary skills to be so extraordinary too. He managed to write a nation-stabilizing essay. How impressive!”

At this moment, those outside the Tribute Courtyard could sense something too.

An inexplicable aura spread throughout the entire Tribute Courtyard while the great Confucian scholar shivered continuously.

“Silence!”

However, at this moment, in the depths of the Tribute Courtyard,

A voice sounded. It belonged to the great Confucian scholar whose voice seemed to contain a divine power. Each word of his made the entire interior of the Tribute Courtyard and the area outside fall silent.

Even the statues, too, all settled down.

It was the Tribute Courtyard, which was also the examination venue. Of course, there had to be silence.

In the Tribute Courtyard.

The three great Confucian scholars were sitting in the hall. They were all elders who usually looked calm but the shock in their eyes could not be concealed.

“I didn’t expect this person to be able to write a nation-stabilizing essay at such a young age. The younger generation really outshines the older generation.”

“Yes, he managed to write a nation-stabilizing essay at such a young age. It’s really enviable.”

“It’s such a pity. If he’s a great Confucian scholar, he could have been recognized by heaven and earth and become a great Confucian of heaven and earth with his nation-stabilizing essay.”

“There’s no need to find it a shame. He seems to be less than 25 years old and a great Confucian younger than 25 years old is a rare find in this world. He will definitely become a great Confucian of heaven and earth within a hundred years. The Confucian lineage has finally produced a rare genius.”

The three people communicated. They were extremely shocked, but as great Confucian scholars, they wouldn’t get flustered because of a nation-stabilizing essay.

On usual days, their reaction might indeed be a little more intense, but now that it was the literary exam, they had to pay more attention to their image since they were examiners.

Hence, they remained seated quietly without reacting much.

Of course, after Ye Ping’s essay was written, they would obviously vie with each other to watch.

Outside the Tribute Courtyard.

Ye Ping moved his brush vividly and soon got immersed in writing. Each golden word that appeared on the rice paper was precious and valuable.

There was also some literary talent behind Ye Ping.

There were a total of eight.

The essay written by Ye Ping was called ‘Persuasion’.

It was a famous one that spread for thousands of years.

It fit the mood.

The theme of this essay was to advise the world to follow the will of heaven, not to look down on themselves, and not to always think of defying heaven. It was to advocate that sometimes, it would be a good thing to let nature take its course.

Besides, many famous figures were included in the essay, who were mostly villains.

Of course, Ye Ping did not waste time and had read many stories about powerful figures in the Tribute Courtyard, which he edited but retained the core meaning.

In poems, a single word would change the rhyme.

However, in an essay, the general meaning and connotation mattered more than the words themselves. The essence of the essay and the meaning that was to be conveyed were the core of the essay.

Towards the end, Ye Ping’s writing speed increased and his creative juices were flowing.

“The poor become rich and the old get stronger. The girls in the palace become concubines and promiscuous women become wives.”

“The time and place are wrong, the world is dim, the land is barren, the waves are tumultuous, there is a lack of luck, everything is arranged in this life. Who doesn’t like luxury? However, if your birth characters do not allow it, how can you become a minister?”

Ye Ping’s speed of writing was increasing and towards the end, he even thought about the time when he had just transmigrated.

He struggled hard for the immortal path, but by chance, he was lucky enough to meet Daoist Tai Hua. He then stepped onto the path of immortality.

Fifteen minutes passed.

When Ye Ping finished writing the last word, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

At this moment, his essence and energy were perfected and his thoughts were clear. All his troubles and worries were temporarily forgotten.

However, at this moment, the entire courtyard suddenly became green, and in the next moment, gusts of wind blew over. A bodhi tree appeared behind Ye Ping.

10,000 bodhi tree branches were hanging down and the sounds of sutras filled the air, somehow freeing them of worries.

The Golden Wheel of Expiation appeared behind Ye Ping’s head, making him look like a buddha.

However, at this moment…

Boom!

Boom!

An infinite amount of golden light darted out of the rice paper on the desk and shot into the sky.

All the stone statues in the entire courtyard trembled and even the true words of the great Confucian could not suppress it.

Shadows even appeared above the courtyard.

The shadows were holding scrolls in their hands and emitting rolling talent.

“This world is full of unpredictable possibilities. There are ups and downs in life.”

“When the weather isn’t fair, the sun and moon cannot be seen. When the land is not pleasant, grass cannot grow.”

The sounds of the sutra sounded.

It spread throughout the entire Wei Nation, and countless cultivators and people felt that the essay was written by a great Confucian scholar.

In the Tribute Courtyard.

The three great Confucian scholars were completely astonished.

“Supreme essay! This is a supreme essay! It turns out that this is a supreme essay.”

“It’s a supreme essay that can spread across thousands of worlds?”

“How is that possible? How is this a supreme essay?”

The three great Confucian scholars were stunned, and their eyes were full of disbelief and shock.

Ye Ping’s essay was not the so-called nation-stabilizing essay but a high-level supreme essay.

There were five grades to the essays.

Citywide essay, nationwide essay, nation-stabilizing essay, thousand-year essay, and supreme literary essay.

Citywide essays could be spread throughout an ancient city.

Nationwide essays could be spread throughout the nations.

Nation-stabilizing essays would stabilize the luck of a nation.

Thousand-year essays would spread throughout the world for thousands of years, and if a great Confucian scholar could become a Saint, he would be able to spread it to the literati of the world.

Supreme essays were peerless and unique. Those who could write supreme essays would become half-Saints of the literati of this world.

He would be worshiped by the imperial dynasty and revered by the literati of the world.

Such essays would appear only once in 5,000 years.

However, they didn’t expect there to be a supreme essay in the Ten Nations Grand Tournament.

Whoosh.

At this moment, a figure appeared in the middle of the Wei Nation Tribute Courtyard. It was the powerhouse of the Ten Nations Academy who had rushed here immediately with unparalleled shock on his face.

In the imperial palace of Wei Nation, the literati were discussing something.

However, a loud and clear voice suddenly sounded.

“There are bound to be unpredictable things in this world.”

“When the weather isn’t fair, the sun and moon cannot be seen. When the land is not pleasant, grass cannot grow.”

The ancient voice resounded. It was the spirit of the great Confucian of heaven and earth chanting scriptures.

It spread throughout Wei Nation.

The people in the imperial palace were naturally the first to hear it.

In an instant, all the court officials froze. No one knew what was happening.

However, in an instant, the chancellor of the Wei Nation Dynasty couldn’t help but stiffen and freeze in shock before going outside the hall while trembling.

“This is truly a supreme essay. Someone has written a supreme essay. Is there going to be a saint in the Confucian lineage?”

His voice was full of excitement and he simply ran towards the Tribute Courtyard without concern for the emperor.

“What? A supreme essay? Xu Xiang, wait for me.”

“Ah, a saint would appear in this world once in 5,000 years, is it possible that someone among us is going to become a Saint?”

“Quick, quick, quick, it’s at the Tribute Courtyard of Wei Nation. Quick, go.”

In an instant, all the civil officials ran towards the Wei Nation Tribute Courtyard.

They were literati who still had the pride of literati even though they had joined the court as officials.

When they heard that someone had written a supreme essay, they were naturally excited.

‘As for the emperor?’

They would at most face punishment when they returned. If they could not read the supreme essay, they would really live in regret for 10,000 years.

All the civil officials ran away.

At this moment, the people in the court were all dumbfounded.

“Your Majesty, these civil officials are simply defiant of the law. How dare they leave the court without permission?”

At this moment, some military officials hollered furiously and wanted to join them.

However, in an instant, the emperor of Wei Nation spoke up.

“Wait for me, guys, I’ll go with you. Court adjourned, court adjourned!”

After saying that, the emperor of Wei Nation vanished in the next moment too.