High Martial Arts: Gains one point of health per second, sweeping across the heavens.

Su Jie looked up. At the end of the hall, above the nine steps, a blurry figure of light floated.

The light and shadow constantly changed shape, sometimes appearing as a human silhouette, sometimes transforming into a flowing stream of data, and finally stabilizing into the phantom of an old man wearing a star-blue robe.

The old man had a kind face, but deep in his eyes flowed countless runes, as if he carried the knowledge base of an entire civilization.

"I am the spirit of the rules at the beginning of the Ancient Star Road, responsible for guiding all trial participants who arrive here with the 'Star Road Guide'." The old man's illusory figure nodded slightly. "You may call me 'Enlightenment'."

Su Jie nodded in greeting: "Junior Su Jie."

"Su Jie." Qi Ming repeated the name, the speed at which the runes in his eyes flowed slightly faster, "Born in the Xuan Tian Great Thousand World, Celestial Phenomenon Realm, wielding a high-level Star Road Guide... Basic information verification complete."

"Next, I need to tell you the rules of the Starry Sky Ancient Road."

Qiming raised his hand and pressed down, and a three-dimensional star map projection immediately rose in the center of the hall.

In the projection, a light path composed of seven stars connected together is clearly visible.

"In the ancient starry road, there is a trial path set up by the sages of the human race, which is divided into seven stations. Each station represents a test and a selection process."

Su Jie gazed at the seven stars: "Where will we go after we pass through them all?"

Those who complete all seven stations will receive the "Starry Sky Mark".

The Spirit of Rules replied, "With this mark, you will gain the qualification to travel to a special place. It is a territory opened up by countless human ancestors, which is more vast and more dangerous than any of the great worlds you know."

Su Jie's eyes flickered slightly: "Danger?"

"That place is a land of endless war. The front line where the human race meets many other races. The struggle for resources, territory, and heritage never ends."

Only those who pass the seven trials are qualified to set foot on that land and fight for humanity!

Su Jie asked in confusion, "What about those who failed the test?"

"Erase your memories and send you back to your original realm. The Ancient Star Road has no need for those who cannot reach the end. As for why... you will understand when you stand on the platform of the seventh station."

Su Jie inwardly scoffed; he was always only saying half of what he meant. But what he was more concerned about was: "What are the tests at the Seventh Station?"

"They are all different." Runes flowed in Qiming's eyes. "Combat strength, willpower, potential, practical adaptability, racial competition... each stage has a different focus."

However, I am not authorized to disclose specific details until you arrive at the corresponding station.

"It sounds like we're screening seeds," Su Jie said.

"You can understand it that way," Qiming didn't deny.

"One of the purposes of the Ancient Star Road is to select the 'seeds' that can truly establish themselves on the Eternal Continent and even lead humanity forward in the future."

Mediocre people become soldiers at the fortresses, outstanding people become generals, and the true seeds…”

He paused, the runes in his eyes flickering: "Special privileges will be granted."

Eternal Continent? Barrier?

Su Jie keenly grasped several pieces of information implied in that sentence.

"So what is the test for your first stop?" Su Jie asked.

Qiming raised his hand, and the star representing the first station in the star map projection lit up. "There are no trials here, only basic assessments, and necessary preparations will be provided for the trial participants."

Su Jie noticed that when Qi Ming said this, his gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.

"Assess what?" he asked.

"Basic combat strength assessment," Qiming replied. "I will scan your bloodline, physique, and magical attributes to generate a basic combat strength assessment report."

This report will determine the difficulty level of the challenges you may face at subsequent sites—the higher your potential, the harder the challenges, but correspondingly, the greater the rewards upon success.

After a moment of contemplation, Su Jie spoke, "Before I begin, I have a question."

Qiming paused slightly: "Please speak."

"What will happen to the data generated by these tests?" Su Jie asked. "Who will see it?"

Qiming solemnly stated, "All core test data will be directly sealed into the 'Spark' core—"

That is the supreme database of the ancient starry road. Of all humanity, only three people have full access to the raw data.

"Three people?" Su Jie pressed.

"The three supreme beings who have made a 'blood oath to protect the path,' permanently binding their own paths to the destiny of the human race."

"Moreover, their main bodies and avatars are in seclusion year-round, seeking greater breakthroughs. Unless humanity faces annihilation, they will not awaken even once every ten thousand years. Only they can see your test report in its entirety."

"Your information is in their hands and will be absolutely safe. As for others, including the commanders of the Ten Great Passes, they will only see a processed, simplified version."

The Ten Divine Barriers? Su Jie suppressed the question that instantly arose in his mind.

He mentally checked, "Is this method reliable?"

"Don't worry." The system's electronic voice sounded, "Your most valuable asset is this system. Revealing anything else is fine."

[Especially your human race, your situation in the myriad realms... is somewhat unique. The importance and protection they place on true geniuses far exceeds your current imagination. They'll be even more afraid of your untimely death than you are of it.]

Since the system says so...

"It's ready." Su Jie nodded to Qi Ming. "Let's begin."

He nodded and said, "Then, let's begin the evaluation!"

The old man's illusory figure raised his hand, and the nebula projection on the dome of the hall suddenly pressed down! Billions of points of light transformed into fine beams of light, enveloping Su Jie within them.

At the same time, nine pale golden halos rose from the ground, nesting together to form an extremely precise detection array.

"Basic combat strength assessment," Qiming replied, his arm of light and shadow waving gently, and three test monuments of different shapes rose from the floor of the hall.

The first stele is dark red all over, with fine blood-like patterns covering its surface.

The second monument is semi-transparent, with countless points of light flowing inside, as if it contains a starry sky.

The third monument is the most unique—it has no physical form, but is a gray, misty energy body that constantly changes shape.

"Bloodline Stele, Constitution Stele, Dharma Image Stele," Qiming introduced in turn.

"Place your hand on the Bloodline Stele, and it will trace your bloodline origins and assign a rating. The Constitution Stele will scan your unique constitution and physical foundation. The Dharma Image Stele..."

It paused for a moment: "The Dharma Image Stele requires you to manifest the illusory image of the Dharma Image. It will determine the quality, rank, and the extent to which the Dharma Image is carried by the laws."

Su Jie walked to the Bloodline Stele and placed his right hand on the surface of the stele.

The stone tablet lit up instantly!

Inside the dark red monument, the blood-like veins seemed to come alive, pulsating and rearranging. Lines of rapidly scrolling text appeared at the top of the monument:

[Tracing the source of bloodline power...]

[Multiple bloodline mixtures detected... separating and analyzing...]

[Divine bloodline characteristics discovered! Quality: Low grade!]

[Warning! Stronger bloodline suppression detected! Reassessing...]