Chapter 835: Aggressive

The three men, all with white hair and beards, wore master robes that shimmered with light. Before they even landed, they exuded an astonishing aura.

“Seven-star masters…”

Seeing the gleaming badges on their chests, Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

These were all seven-star masters. Although he couldn't discern their exact ranks, they clearly surpassed the scope of the Hongyuan Empire.

“Sorry to have kept you all waiting…”

The three landed. An old man among them smiled slightly and looked around.

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed to sound right by the ears, instantly silencing the previous clamor.

“You flatter us, senior!”

“It is our honor to receive your guidance!”

The crowd below clasped their fists in unison.

Those comprehending before the rock wall were mostly at the Half-Saint or Sub-Saint level. Even the masters among them were only at Six-Star lower or middle grade. Compared to the three before them, they were far inferior. Not knowing their exact names, addressing them as seniors was a proper courtesy from juniors.

“We are all cultivators; there's no need for formalities. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Wu Ran. Over the years, I have been in charge of many affairs of the Sage Sealing Society. I am a master from the Qingzhu Empire. You may call me Master Wu.”

The old man stroked his beard and introduced himself.

“Wu Ran? Could he be… the current president of the Sage Sealing Society…”

“You've heard of him?”

“Of course. This Master Wu not only has a profound understanding of Confucius's sage-sealing insights but is also the dean of Qingzhu Academy!”

“Qingzhu Academy? You mean… that master academy of the Qingzhu First-Class Empire?”

“Yes. Under the Qingyuan Title Empire, there are forty-six first-class empires, and only four academies in total… Although Qingzhu is not the highest-ranked, it is not inferior to the Hongyuan Master Academy. As its dean, his knowledge and strength are beyond doubt!”

“In that case, we're lucky to attend his lecture…”

…

Hearing the introduction, the crowd below buzzed with discussion, all showing shock.

The Sage Sealing Society gave lectures every day, but usually, it was just ordinary members. Today, the president himself, a seven-star master and dean, had come in person, shocking many.

Qingzhu Academy, though not ranked first among the four academies, was not last either. As its dean, his strength and status were evident.

It was a great honor for him to personally explain Confucius's insights to them.

“Beside me are Master Wang Liao and Master Sun Jin. If you have any questions, you may ask them, and I will answer according to difficulty,” Master Wu said with a smile.

“Wang Liao? I've heard of him. His essay ‘Confucius's Inquiry on the Dao’ has spread across dozens of first-class empires. It is said that at least three hundred people gained insights from it and broke through their bottlenecks. He is one of the top ten masters of Qingzhu Empire!”

“I've also heard of this Sun Jin. He is also one of the top ten masters of Qingzhu Empire. His original ‘Sub-Saint Breakthrough Method’ caused a huge stir. I once bought a copy at a high price. I never thought I'd see him in person…”

Hearing the two names introduced by Master Wu, the crowd buzzed again.

These two were not unknown; on the contrary, they were quite famous.

But… Qingzhu Empire was half a month's journey away even by sacred beast. Why had they suddenly come here?

“Since everyone knows us, I won't waste words. Let me first explain the origin of Confucius's insights.”

After introducing himself, Master Wu looked around and began his lecture.

“As everyone knows, Confucius lived in an era when the Heterodox race invaded and dominated the continent! At that time, humans lived in constant danger, their lives precarious. Born in such an era, although Confucius broke through to the Saint realm and became a saint recognized by heaven, he still worried about humanity and wanted to contribute to it… Therefore, these insights, while containing the joy of breaking through to sainthood, also incorporate complex emotions of concern for the country and the people, and worry for the world!”

“Concern for the country and the people, worry for the world?” Zhang Xuan blinked.

Confucius left this thing merely to remind future generations to cultivate cautiously and not act rashly. When did it have such emotions… That's stretching it too far!

But upon reflection, he understood. These specialized “scholars” often complicate simple things to show off their erudition. In reality… even the author himself would be baffled and curse.

It was like in his previous life, when the great writer Lu Xun wrote, “In my backyard, I can see two trees outside the wall. One is a date tree, and the other is also a date tree.”

Later generations interpreted it in various ways, saying it fully displayed boredom, loneliness, and so on—full of literary talent and profundity… But in fact, it was just a faulty sentence.

This Master Wu clearly had the potential to be such a “scholar.”

“…Therefore, reading these insights with such feelings allows one to truly experience Confucius's state of mind!”

Master Wu continued: “For example, the line ‘Eating coarse food, drinking water, and pillowing one's head on a bent arm—there is joy in it as well.’ This is a true portrayal of the human plight under the oppression of the Heterodox race. Translated, it means: although eating coarse grains, drinking cold water, and using a bent arm as a pillow, Confucius strove for humanity and found joy in it, not feeling lonely…”

His voice rang out clearly as he explained the insights before him.

After listening for a while, Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes.

It wasn't that what the man said was wrong, but when they looked at the insights, they directly elevated Confucius to an unattainable level, not starting from the essence. Such an interpretation, though not incorrect, drifted further and further from Confucius's true intent.

At first, he wondered how this guy had passed the seven-star master exam—he seemed completely undeserving. But after careful consideration, he understood.

Were the experts in his previous life truly experts?

Weren't there many whose brains were infested with worms?

On the Master Teacher Continent, Confucius's influence was immense. Every master regarded him as an idol. This concept was deeply ingrained. Anything he left behind had to be studied in a lofty direction to convince countless people.

Otherwise, it would be considered heretical and disrespectful to the teacher's way.

He was different. With the Library of Heaven's Path, he didn't blindly follow anything. Moreover, as a transmigrant, he didn't have such reverence for Confucius. Being a so-called bystander, he saw further and understood more clearly than others.

Boom!

As he was sighing inwardly, a Sub-Saint ahead seemed to comprehend something. His body rumbled, and he broke through on the spot.

Zhang Xuan blinked.

He had thought the man's fanciful talk would have no effect, but unexpectedly, someone actually broke through.

“I see—it's faith!”

With a thought, he understood.

Perhaps this Master Wu also knew that his interpretation was incorrect and deviated from the meaning, but masters all had a worship and firm faith in Confucius. By amplifying that faith, one might break through bottlenecks.

The difference between the Saint realm and Sub-Saint was not only in cultivation but also in state of mind!

No wonder this Sage Sealing Society, which seemed so far-fetched to him, still maintained the worship of countless people.

“Good, someone has broken through… Now, I will explain the first difficult sentence: ‘Calm without worry, agitated and restless. Handle with composure, choose tranquility. Even without the power to advance, one can still break through…’ The meaning is simple: as long as the mind is calm and free of worry, even if true qi is insufficient, one can still break through…”

Seeing someone break through, Master Wu stroked his beard with satisfaction and continued his lecture.

“This…” Zhang Xuan laughed in spite of himself.

Confucius's line itself had a problem; it was one of the nine flaws mentioned by the Library.

State of mind is important, but it must also be compatible with power, achieving unity of knowledge and action.

Only when the state of mind is reached will true qi circulate naturally, achieving effortless action, and allowing a natural breakthrough.

In fact, this line was Confucius's encouragement to future generations not to focus solely on true qi cultivation but also to temper their state of mind. Yet in the man's mouth, it became a secret method for breakthroughs…

No wonder… although there were nine errors, no one noticed!

It wasn't that these people were too stupid, but they thought too highly of Confucius, thus distorting the meaning.

“Friend, is there something wrong with my lecture that makes you laugh like that?”

Just as he was shaking his head, thinking that listening to this interpretation was pointless, he heard a faint voice.

Looking up, he saw Master Wu frowning, staring straight at him.

Everyone else was listening intently, but this man was laughing, which displeased him greatly.

Although a seven-star master should be tolerant, this was the sacred ground of the Sealing Sage Platform, not a place for wanton desecration.

Caught off guard, Zhang Xuan felt a bit awkward. He scratched his head and clasped his fist: “I laughed because I suddenly had an epiphany at a wonderful part. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Even if the man was wrong, it had nothing to do with him. He didn't want to become a target.

“An epiphany? Hah, a little guy at the Return to True Realm, do you even understand?”

“Confucius's insights are aimed at Sub-Saint experts. An epiphany? Do you even know what he's talking about?”

“An epiphany? Come on, show us a breakthrough…”

…

Hearing his words, the surrounding cultivators all laughed.

These people were all Sub-Saint experts, and they dared not claim to understand. A Return to True Realm brat like you, hearing a wonderful part… What a shameless boast!

How thick-skinned can you be?

Hearing this, Master Wu also frowned: “Oh? Since it's a wonderful part, may I ask what is so wonderful? Why not share it with everyone for discussion?”

“This… I'd rather not make a fool of myself,” Zhang Xuan waved his hand repeatedly.

“You mean I'm making a fool of myself here?” Master Wu's face darkened.

“I… I didn't mean that?”

Not expecting him to interpret it that way, Zhang Xuan was taken aback and quickly said: “I meant that my level is low, and speaking would only invite ridicule. It's better not to say anything…”

“You listened to my lecture and gained insights, but speaking would invite ridicule. Do you mean my lecture… is not worth mentioning and invites ridicule?” Master Wu snorted.

“You misunderstand. I meant my own level is low…”

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“If your level is low, yet you can find wonderful parts and laugh involuntarily, then my lecture must be even lower in level?” Master Wu raised his eyebrows.