Chapter 667: God's Way Proves Itself

"Granting a Demigod position?"

"The end of a Divine Path leads to becoming a god... and to become a god, one needs a divine position," Bai Ye slowly explained. "However, a divine position isn't something automatically obtained just by reaching a certain rank. At the end of each Divine Path, there is only one divine position, and this position can only be granted by Heaven and Earth..."

"So that's how it is... I thought breaking through from the eighth to the ninth rank was just like earlier rank promotions, where having enough spiritual power was sufficient," Jian Changsheng mused thoughtfully.

"That's true while your rank is still low... but once you advance to higher ranks, each promotion will become extremely difficult."

"So, how can one get Heaven and Earth to grant a divine position?"

"There is only one way for Heaven and Earth to grant a position... by proving the value of the Divine Path you walk to Heaven and Earth throughout all time."

"...Proving the value of a Divine Path??"

"Only the chief of a Divine Path can come into contact with the granting of a divine position. The chief carries the destiny of an entire Divine Path... At that point, it's not just the Divine Path bestowing power upon the chief; in a sense, the chief also represents the entire Divine Path. You can think of the chief as the spokesperson for their respective Divine Path. To receive a divine position from Heaven and Earth, the spokesperson must prove to Heaven and Earth throughout all time that the existence of this Divine Path is meaningful. Only if Heaven and Earth acknowledge the contributions this Divine Path has made to human civilization can the Divine Path receive a divine position... If it cannot be proven, Heaven and Earth will not grant the divine position, and no demigods will appear on that Divine Path. The process by which the chief, representing the Divine Path, proves its significance to Heaven and Earth is called 'Divine Path Self-Validation'."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling seemed to think of something and suddenly spoke:

"Divine Paths are the embodiment of professional divinity in human civilization throughout history... So, is Divine Path Self-Validation the process by which various professions prove their significance to human civilization?"

"That's one way to understand it," Bai Ye nodded slightly. "However, Divine Path Self-Validation is extremely difficult to succeed... because the threshold is too high. Only by significantly impacting human destiny itself, causing human destiny to change because of a Divine Path, can it possibly be recognized by Heaven and Earth throughout all time. Furthermore, the granting of a position by Heaven and Earth throughout all time is only for the chief and is temporary. Even if a chief in this era completes Divine Path Self-Validation and ascends to a ninth-rank demigod, the divine position will be reclaimed after their death. Only when a new chief in the next era completes the self-validation will a new demigod appear. Moreover, within the same Divine Path and the same era, there can only be one demigod... As far as I know, Divine Paths that have completed self-validation in this era are extremely rare."

Jack of Spades watched the direction of the front-line battlefield, his gaze incredibly complex:

"Indeed, the Azure Divine Path has not seen a demigod in this era, or even the previous one. If the chief of the Floating Life Painting truly completes self-validation on behalf of the Azure Divine Path... it will cause a sensation across all human domains."

Boom—!!

The embroidery threads, like a rain of light, rapidly converged in the air. The moment the old man's foot landed, a third thunderous boom echoed over the Mortal Realm.

"Divine Path Self-Validation, eh..." Monarch Wuji's eyes narrowed slightly.

At the end of the embroidery thread staircase leading to the heavens, an azure star silently lit up, as if the professional divinity from eons past had materialized. Within the flickering starlight, residual images of great figures who had left their mark on the Azure Divine Path were now awakened. Their majestic gazes, transcending time and space, melted into the brilliance of the Divine Path Star, casting upon the slow-ascending black-clad figure...

The Azure Divine Path was watching Yao Qing;

The Azure Divine Path was supporting Yao Qing.

As the old man took another step up the staircase, the Divine Path's destiny on him grew increasingly intense. The Divine Path Star of the Azure Divine Path hung above his head, and the embroidery thread steps beneath his feet gradually turned azure. An unparalleled aura of prestige swept across the world!

Monarch Wuji frowned as he watched the ascending figure. He gently pressed his palm towards the earth, and amidst a booming tremor, hundreds of black longswords shot up from the ground!

These longswords floated around Monarch Wuji. With a flick of his finger, they wove into a dense rain of swords, whistling as they slashed towards the azure Divine Path leading to the heavens!

However, these longswords, which moments ago could cleave through the *Nine Dragons Patrolling the Heavens Map*, suddenly froze just before touching the Divine Path. They were suspended eerily in the air, as if clutched by countless invisible hands!

Hum—!!

In the sky, the azure Divine Path Star shone brightly, and Monarch Wuji's hundreds of swords shattered simultaneously!

Monarch Wuji's pupils slightly contracted. The pressure from the Divine Path Star instantly tore through his Monarchal pressure. Under the terrifying impact, he staggered back half a step, his expression incredibly grim.

Putting aside that Monarch Wuji standing here was merely a clone of his true body with incomplete combat power, even a peak-state Monarch Wuji would likely be unable to harm Yao Qing in the slightest...

Because Yao Qing, during the "Divine Path Self-Validation" process, was no longer just Yao Qing... He represented a Divine Path born from human civilization.

Until the Divine Path Self-Validation concluded, Yao Qing remained in an "unattackable" state; no one could harm him.

Monarch Wuji's attack did not distract the old man in the slightest.

He gazed intently at the end of the Divine Path, slowly raising his foot... and stepped onto another level!

Boom—!!

Fragmented memories flashed through his eyes. All his past seemed to merge into the steps beneath his feet, supporting his body as he ascended, step by step, towards the clouds.

"Sissy!"

"Sissy Yao!"

"Hahahaha, look, his school uniform even has little birds embroidered on it~ Only girls wear clothes like that, right?"

"I even saw him secretly embroidering in school last time!"

"Didn't you know? Yao Qing's whole family does embroidery! Look at his hands, they're calloused from holding needles and thread every day."

"Even girls don't embroider nowadays, do they? Yao Qing is so effeminate! Sissy Yao! Hahahaha..."

Sarcasm and laughter filled his ears. He seemed to return to that dirty, cramped street corner, seeing many figures surrounding a thin boy, punching and kicking him.

The boy fell miserably into a puddle, his hands clutching his head. The malice from the outside world felt like countless needles, piercing him all over.

He didn't know what he had done wrong, nor why they arbitrarily unleashed malice upon him. He simply wanted to inherit his grandmother's craft and do what he loved...

Sneaker soles stepped roughly on his face, slowly covering his eyes. Mud filled his path ahead, obscuring his future direction.

Just then,

The laughter, sarcasm, and curses suddenly vanished.

An old man in black, bearing some resemblance to him, slowly walked to his side... His eyes were cloudy, yet they reflected a hint of clarity.

A wrinkled hand reached out and took the boy's hand.

Both their palms were covered with thick calluses and scars.

The boy was slightly stunned as the old man gently pulled him up from the ground, his youthful face filled with confusion.

"We should go now," the old man said.

"Where?"

The old man raised his hand and pointed forward.

The originally dirty and cramped alleyway suddenly vanished, replaced by a magnificent azure Divine Path, piercing through the clouds and reaching directly into the heavens!

"To this world, to prove our worth," the old man said, holding the boy's hand and smiling slightly.

"...It begins here."