William Clark pondered for a long time, then opened his eyes, rolled up the long scroll, set it aside, and looked at Edward Clark, speaking slowly: “Ying’er, these years you have been too weak to farm, too young to handle affairs, and your food and lodging have all been provided by the clan. You must understand this!”

“I know!” Edward Clark bowed in reply. Of course, he couldn’t say that just renting out his family’s hundred acres of land would have given him a better life than now.

William Clark nodded with satisfaction and said, “Uncle won’t hide it from you—your literary talent is indeed good enough to take the child scholar exam; in this respect, you are more than qualified.”

“But this time, the quota for the village’s child scholar exam is limited. Since you have this talent and are only fifteen, you have plenty of potential. Should you yield to the worthy? Give this opportunity to one of the clan’s brothers?”

Seeing Edward Clark deep in thought, William Clark added earnestly, “This is also the will of the clan.”

The so-called clan brothers of the right age referred to the son of the second branch of the family. Who knows how much this uncle had spent to bribe the clan elders.

Edward Clark’s face remained expressionless, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young girl at the door quietly shifting her position, and his fist clenched: “This is a big matter. Uncle, please forgive me and allow me some time to consider.”

“Hmm? Still need to consider!” William Clark was stunned at these words and was about to lose his temper!

At the door, Grace took a deep breath and suddenly pushed open the wooden door.

“Crash!” A group of boys tumbled in from outside, arms tangled with legs, exclaiming “Ouch! Ouch!” as they scrambled up in a fluster and awkwardly excused themselves: “You all carry on…”

“These rascals!” William Clark’s face flushed red. He immediately realized that what he had just said had been overheard by these boys. He felt a surge of anger stuck in his chest, but couldn’t vent it.

Edward Clark unclenched his fist and secretly gave Grace a thumbs-up. He had been going out for several days precisely to set up this situation.

A clan uncle forcing his nephew to give up the imperial exam was a major scandal. As for these eavesdropping students, there was no hope they’d keep quiet. Now that word would spread, he didn’t believe it wouldn’t have an effect.

Put yourself in their shoes—if this “sacrifice for the clan” happened to their own sons, what would they do?

Absolutely intolerable, everyone would rise up in protest!

In such public opinion, if the clan still insisted on sacrificing a very promising youth under pressure, then nothing more could be said.

“I’ll give you three days to think it over and give me an answer. Don’t let me down.” William Clark realized this at last, though he hadn’t yet figured out that the eavesdroppers had been deliberately lured. He coldly threw down these words and disappeared in a flash.

Watching William Clark’s departing figure, Edward Clark let out a cold laugh.

Then he turned back, sat down in the chair, lost in thought.

“Fate at its limit, heaven collapses and earth crumbles, the four seas merge in darkness, the universe is destroyed!” This was a prophecy that existed at this point in time, but no one—at least no one within Edward Clark’s circle—believed it.

In this world, three Dao Lords had already joined forces to monopolize supreme power, claiming to be united with the Dao, indestructible through all calamities. As incarnations of the Dao, they stood aloof, delegating actual authority to the Heavenly Court.

But the Heavenly Court was not a single ruler, but five Emperors representing the five elements, taking turns to govern.

It was truly: one begets two, two begets three, three begets all things.

And the virtue of all things lies in the five elements; it is the cycle of the five virtues that governs the fate of the world.

This structure of three birthing all things and the circulation of the five virtues had operated smoothly for a million years, deeply rooted—no one imagined it could be shaken.

Of course, private instruction between master and disciple in the immortal way, and mutual protection among disciples, had formed a vast network of close-knit immortal clans, leaving the common people with no chance to rise. This had sparked several revolutions under the banner of royal reform, or the birth of new Dao lineages, but all were easily suppressed by the Heavenly Court.

What drew particular attention was that three hundred thousand years ago, a top scholar reformed the system, no longer passing on the Dao based on aptitude or sect connections, but selecting those with clear Dao hearts through imperial examinations—putting the Dao before law, the public before the private. This move laid the foundation for the Dao Court, and as it operated to the present, the various sects’ strongholds were gradually dismantled, and the Dao’s progress faced no more obstacles!

He himself also became the last Emperor—the Red Emperor!

With such a Dao enterprise, no one would have thought that a great calamity was quietly approaching.

By the time his former self perished, the Dao Court had already ordered that the vast majority of Dao techniques be distributed free to any Daoist, sparing no cost to increase their power to resist the calamity.

Six Suns Diagram, Earth Palace Golden Leaf, Purple Mansion Heavenly Book, Supreme Purity Alchemy Book, Myriad Scenes Returning to the Source… all these Dao classics, once worth a fortune, were now handed out for free…

Thinking of this, Edward Clark couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. Now he couldn’t remember a single word of those classics, only some basic Daoist techniques remained in his memory. If not for a sliver of hope, he would truly be spitting blood in grief.

Steadying his mood, Edward Clark silently recited a divine incantation. Instantly, a strange light flashed in his eyes as he was about to examine his own fate. But just then, he heard a buzzing sound, his vision went black as if shocked, and tears streamed down his face. The cold smile immediately turned into a bitter one.

“Young master, what’s wrong?” Grace saw Edward Clark’s tears and hurried forward to ask.

“It’s nothing, just got something in my eye.” Edward Clark continued to force a bitter smile, but his heart sank.