It was raining that day. In the rain, a young man is handing out handcrafted calligraphy. The young man is standing in the rain with no shelter, combined that with his calligraphy, one would expect that the papers are all ruined but it is not. The young man must have achieved a considerable level in cultivation, he, himself and everything he touched are protected from the rain. The common people doesn't know the implication behind such a phenomenon, thinking that it is strange, but the cultivators are really interested.

Is the young man a wizened senior in disguise trying to test them? If so, it is better to accommodate him and see what it is about.

However, when they get closer, the young man is really just a young man, and his cultivation is not that high either.

"Is a formidable senior behind this stand? Perhaps he didn't want to show his face and it is why this young man is here." Is what was on most people's mind. But there really was a lot of cultivators, not enough to raise notice, but at least a dozen or so has gathered in inconspicuous place around the calligraphy stand.

The cultivators realize each other's presence, but no one want to show themselves first, they want to watch the situation first before acting. After a while, a dashing man with the elegance and grace of a scholar steps forward the stand. Normally the people of the Eight Sanctum appreciate the Martial Dao so people who follow the scholar art, cultivation of the mind and spirit are considered weak, but the scholarly man has two master in the shadow following him, watching the commotion. From the way they defer to him, only the blind couldn't see his importance, and so none of the cultivators at the scene dare to raise a complaint.

"What are you selling?" The scholar smiles at the young man. At the same time, he gauge at the young man's cultivation.

Foundation forming stage, very weak, however there was something else. It seems that at one point his cultivation was at a higher stage, but it drops perhaps due to trauma. There are many mysteries to this young man, but everyone has his secrets, so the scholarly man didn't gauge any further.

Lately, the Eight Sanctum continent has a renaissance in cultivation due to the sudden increase in Qi. Every sects, clans and secret factions are in a rush to cultivate and increase their strength further before their enemies could. In this age many thing could happen, even mysterious encounter is not out of the questions. Many old seniors have used this opportunity to appear and throw their lot into the game, hoping for ascension. In fact, it is said that the mysterious phenomenon in the sky that day when the continent was changed was the sign of a senior ascending to the heaven. There are many rumors to the identity of that senior, in fact...

"Wait- Are you Shi Xiang?" One of the cultivators in the crowd who was thinking about that fact suddenly realize the identity of the stand keeper. Shi Xiang! It's Shi Xiang! Once he was considered a genius, sought after by many sects for achieving Dan forming stage without any backing from any sects at seventeen years old. However that is all in the past now after he crossed the young master of the Hu family and was forced to crawl out of their estate like a cockroaches. It's even said that his home was burned down, and Shi Xiang, in that anger, almost lost his cultivation. Now that they look at him, it is true. However, Shi Xiang is not important, because according to the rumor, the one who ascended that day was...

Shao Jingyi, Shi Xiang's master.

It's just a rumor, however even the Hu family was wary enough of such rumors. They did not make any troubles with Shi Xiang anymore, Shi Xiang also did not make any troubles with them anymore. It could be said that their relation is severed.

"This is my handcrafted calligraphy intending to help everyone with cultivating the Dao. Because cultivating is the path everyone walk, we should help each other on this path. Two formidable seniors help me while I was at my lowest and so it is my duty to pass that teaching on. However my own ability is still too limited to impart their teaching completely."

'Two?' Is what was on everyone's mind 'Wasn't it only his master? Who is the other one?'

"Your own calligraphy? Interested. I'm very interested." The scholarly man says and take a look at the hand writing. As someone who is well-read, he is quite used to calligraphy. However, he, as well as everyone at the scene doubted that it was Shi Xiang's own calligraphy.

This must be a test.

At that moment, Shi Xiang's hand stops the scholarly man from picking up one of the calligraphy. There was some strangeness with the writing. From afar, you could recognize it as handwriting, but you could not read it. Simple trick this is, this just means one has to actually pick up the paper itself to read what was written. Many cultivator calligraphers learn of this trick, though calligrapher is not a really well-respected profession.

Instead of being annoyed at the intrusion, the scholarly man smiles.

This is a test after all.

"How should we do this?" He asks mysteriously. The other cultivators watch with rapt attention. Do they need to pass a test to get the calligraphy?

"No, this is something to keep in mind. There are two writings here among the paper. You could choose one, you could choose the other, you could also choose both. However, whatever you choose, it has to be what you wanted."

'What you wanted? Isn't it better to choose both?' Many thought the same. If it was a writing from a senior, especially someone who is suspected to has ascended, it has to contain some profoundness, so wouldn't it be better to choose both? At the same time, this may be a test, and being too greedy may anger the senior hidden in the shadow. The other waited to see what the scholarly man choose.

"What I wanted huh?"

The man's hand hovers over the paper.

Immediately it was clear to him.

Among the stack of papers, some feel very elegant, enlightened and "pure" in other word. The feeling was very light, it was truly an enlightened paper, just by hovering over it, he feels devoid of the mortal desire. This, this truly fit him.

The other on the other hand. It feels like something that cling on to him, like something that would not let go. There was a strange emotion in it, however it feels so worldly, like the unwashed mass he sees everyday, he feels repulsed by it.

"Why would I choose that one?" Suddenly he mutters to the puzzlement of everyone. Immediately, he has his answer.

Holding the calligraphy on his hand, the man slowly unscroll it and reads it slowly.

The Heavenly Dao is without emotion.

Suddenly, his breath hitches. It was like a profoundness hitting him straight in the eyes that he cannot turn away from. His heartbeat start to become irregular. The two masters in the shadow seeing this, immediately react and rush to his side

To achieve the Dao-

The man screams, the two masters move to kill Shi Xiang who they figure was the cause behind their master's strange predicament.

"Wait-" The man immediately raise a hand to stop the two. Warily, he looks up at Shi Xiang.

"Your handwriting yes?"

"Yes" Shi Xiang answers.

"I don't believe it." The man says. Slowly, like was holding a precious thing, the man folded back the calligraphy and put it in his sleeves.

"Come, I have to study this later." There was a burning in a the man's eyes. Like every word was a treasure and that reading it all at once was sacrilege. Every word need to be savored, studied, and researched. Reading it all at once was his fault. Clearly he did not have eyes to even consider doing that in this dirty place in the first place. This could only be the work of an enlightened master who has ascended. Truly, the rumor about Shi Xiang's master must be real.

However, the words did not come from Shao Jingyi, Shi Xiang's master.

"You two. Each of you pick one, it's going to be beneficial to your cultivation. We are returning."

Even as he speaks, the scholarly man could feel a change in his cultivation. It-It-

It's dropping! But it's becoming purer. He feels completely different from the unwashed mass, as if he was enlightened. So what if his cultivation reduces? His strength lie elsewhere, in controlling man, money and government. So what if his strength is weak? He feels enlightened, his mind is clearer, this- this is the best feeling.

And yet when he looks at the two masters he brought with him, their answers was different from his.

They chose the repulsive one.

The two masters have a hard life.

At that moment, a System Notice appears in front of Shi Xiang

"System Notice:

Mission: As before, so after. Pass on what you have learned and improve the cultivation level of the people with the right mindset.

Write down the teaching of Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Zheng Jie and Devil Path Ancestor, Yan Yu and sell it to more than 3000 people (0003/3000, incomplete)

Reward: Video Replay System"