Volume One: The Blue Moon Turmoil

Chapter One: Divine Marks and Divine Abilities

In the ancient and desolate land, monsters and barbarians roam everywhere, wantonly hunting humans, leaving the human race weak and struggling.

In the first year of the Primordial Era, a divine mountain descended from the heavens, bearing the four characters “The Way of Heaven is Manifest.” The three great human sages beheld the mountain, created divine abilities, and established eighty-one sacred academies to enlighten the masses, ultimately forging the mighty destiny of the human race and contending for supremacy with the monsters and barbarians.

The human race is immortal, and the Great Dao endures forever!

Blue Moon City, Nanxing Academy.

With the end of the last spring rain, Blue Moon City welcomed another summer!

The slightly hot weather made many students in Nanxing Academy’s classes drowsy, but the students of Junior Class Three were all full of energy, their eyes wide open, staring intently at the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl in a white dress standing at the podium.

“The path of martial arts is full of hardship. Even as an apprentice, there are ten stars. Only by cultivating to the tenth star can one become a martial artist. Beyond that are the three Yuan realms: Condensing Yuan, Returning Yuan, and Divine Yuan. Reaching the three Yuan realms is already extremely difficult. If someone is exceptionally gifted and breaks through the three Yuan realms, they can become an Emperor, a mighty one who guards the destiny of the human race. In our history, there have only been thirty-six Emperors. Beyond that, if one comprehends the Dao of Heaven and Earth and creates supreme divine abilities, they can become a Sage. But in thousands of years, there have only been three Sages!”

“Our human race, besides possessing countless divine abilities, also has supreme divine marks and barbarian bone artifacts. We are a race blessed by the Way of Heaven. Now, let’s talk about divine marks!”

The girl in the white dress stood at the podium, her clear and transparent eyes sweeping over the upright students, her light and elegant voice flowing like a spring, crisp and pleasant to the ear.

The girl’s name was Grace Hamilton, a gifted student of Nanxing Academy’s elite class. She was only fifteen, yet was about to become a true martial artist. To achieve such accomplishments at her age was nothing short of extraordinary.

Moreover, Miss Grace was the prized disciple of the vice dean of Nanxing Academy. Such a favored daughter of heaven was now acting as a substitute teacher, giving a lecture here today!

“If divine abilities are like characters, then divine marks are the strokes. Only by comprehending the divine marks and mastering the strokes can you write the characters and attain divine abilities!”

“The Triple Tide Palm is a low-level spiritual-rank divine ability composed of thirty-six basic divine marks. Today, I will mainly talk to you about the first three of these thirty-six divine marks!”

She took a few steps forward, looking at the students as she spoke.

Her purple hair, shining with a violet luster, cascaded like a waterfall down her back. A crystal bead, strung with golden threads, held a lock of purple hair by her ear. The classical white silk dress outlined her graceful figure, the sleeves revealing half of her jade-like arm, and a simple silver bracelet hung from her slender wrist. Her temperament was elegant and refined, like a lotus on a snowy mountain untouched by dust.

With her stunning looks, mysterious background, status as the vice dean’s disciple, and already a ten-star apprentice about to become a great martial artist, she was undoubtedly the object of admiration for all the children in Junior Class Three.

The structure of divine marks was extremely complex and intricate, but Grace Hamilton handled it with ease, accurately writing out three divine marks. After finishing, she turned to face the students. As she turned, the bare part of her shoulder and neck was faintly revealed, showing graceful lines and a clearly visible collarbone. The skirt flowed like moonlight, and every movement radiated a captivating charm.

Most of the children in Junior Class Three were about twelve or thirteen years old, still with childish faces. They sat respectfully, their eyes filled with admiration and affection as they looked at Miss Grace.

“Miss Grace is so beautiful!”

“I must become a martial artist and fight the monsters alongside Miss Grace!”

This was undoubtedly the heartfelt wish of most of the boys. To fight monsters side by side with Miss Grace was the lifelong dream of countless people.

At this moment, at the very back of the classroom, a slightly thin boy was lost in thought. He sat in the last row, blocked by the students in front, and was almost unnoticed. His features were delicate—not especially handsome, but with well-defined contours and lively intelligence shining in his deep eyes.

Henry Carter was always someone with a very low sense of presence, whether in this class or in his family. With only a red-level spiritual sea, he was almost never noticed. He could still vaguely remember the look of disappointment on his elders’ faces when they learned he had only a red-level spiritual sea.

“Divine marks… I, Henry Carter, will never have hope of becoming a martial artist in this life. What’s the use of learning divine marks? Without Yuan power, I can’t even draw a divine mark!”

A self-mocking, bitter smile played at the corner of Henry Carter’s mouth. Thinking of the test results before entering Nanxing Academy, he couldn’t help but clench his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hand standing out.

Spiritual sea talent is divided into seven levels: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Henry Carter’s talent was the weakest—red-level. No matter how hard he tried, he could at most become a tenth-level apprentice, with no hope of becoming a martial artist.

“Bullied and ridiculed at the academy, ignored by my family!”