Great and sacred words resounded through Central Province City.
The world seemed to fall silent, with only that deafening voice echoing incessantly by the ears.
The voice grew louder, until it exploded like heavenly thunder within one’s mind!
At the same moment.
The world where Su Changqing stood began to manifest terrifyingly grand phenomena.
Heavenly flowers fell in disarray, golden lotuses surged from the earth, and a sky full of purple mist descended from the east.
Upon witnessing this scene, countless people present showed alarm.
This grand manifestation was not merely an unusual occurrence with the statue of the Literary Emperor, but rather a blessing sensed by heaven and earth!
"Even the Heavenly Dao was startled, this... this is not only the ultimate principle of the Confucian path but also conceals the true intent of the Great Dao!"
Many of the powerful spectators were shocked, looking at Su Changqing with disbelief.
They found it unimaginable how Su Changqing, with his level of insight and experience, could comprehend such profound truths.
The four sentences just now, even for Confucian cultivators, left everyone deeply enlightened.
Establish one’s heart, establish one’s destiny, follow the past saints, open a path to peace...
These few words gave them a sense of clarity, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the blue sky.
For what had they been striving all their lives?
Be it cultivation or striving for resources, was it not for the continuation of their sect and lineage?
Previously, they had no clear goal.
But upon hearing this Great Dao truth, they suddenly understood in their hearts.
Sects and family lines are merely small paths; the true Great Dao is to look at the world.
Numerous cultivators present showed contemplative expressions, vaguely enlightened.
What was even more shocking was the Confucian cultivators!
At this moment, whether great scholars or the staunch lineage of the court, even those of the Mu family were standing dazedly in place.
What is Confucianism?
They once believed that promoting the wind of gentlemen, establishing the backbone of chivalry, strengthening themselves to make Confucianism renowned in the world, this was Confucianism.
This belief was upheld for endless ages but collapsed in a single day.
"To establish a heart for heaven and earth... to establish a destiny for the people..."
Countless Confucian cultivators muttered these words, faces filled with shame and bitter smiles.
These two short sentences, with their broad scope and grand vision, crushed what they once considered as Confucian.
If heaven and earth are heartless, humans have heart.
To understand the ultimate principle of heaven and earth through human moral integrity, giving heaven and earth meaning and value.
What does it mean to act on behalf of heaven?
With the insights gained from understanding heaven and earth, using one’s moral integrity as the foundation, to establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people!
These words stand at a height comparable to the Heavenly Dao!
Heaven and earth use humans as a foundation, moral integrity as a baseline, pointing direction for all sentient beings!
These two brief sentences express the true essence of Confucian cultivation.
The latter two sentences, ’to continue the studies of the past saints, to open a path to peace for future generations’ encapsulate the ultimate goal of a lifetime of Confucian cultivation.
To educate all living beings.
What is passed down is not just the ’Dao’ but more of the moral integrity of ’Confucianism’.
With the thought of ’Confucian’ moral integrity, to spread the Dao throughout the world, to bring peace everywhere, and have no disputes.
This grand idea is awe-inspiring, shocking, yet equally exhilarating and aspirational.
With the four sentences Su Changqing spoke, how narrow and selfish were the previous Confucian ideals?
In the past, they could only see Confucianism, only themselves.
But Su Changqing’s vision and heart encompass the world, all beings!
This comparison is impossible! How can one compare? How could there be the face to compare!
The ideological level and height of the two are not even in the same dimension.
The previously steadfast court lineage of great scholars had their beliefs nearly collapse in an instant.
Boom!
And at that moment, the world where Su Changqing was located was already overwhelmed by endless phenomena.
Vast literary aura spread across the cosmos like a flood, and the statue of the Literary Emperor radiated myriad auspicious rays.
In the next moment, at the center of the literary aura in the sky, the phantom of the Literary Emperor appeared.
He was dressed in green robes, with a gentle face, and upon appearing, he surprisingly gave a grand ceremonial bow to Su Changqing.
"Sir should be the teacher of the Confucian Dao!"
All those present, whether Confucian cultivators or from other paths, were utterly shocked upon hearing this.
The Literary Emperor personally appeared and bowed with respect!
Moreover, he referred to Su Changqing as sir, bowing with the courtesy of a student.
This is... the emperor’s teacher!
"The Literary Emperor’s words are too weighty."
Seeing it was the spirit of the Literary Emperor, Su Changqing dared not presume, hastily returning the courtesy.
He initially thought this statue of the Literary Emperor was merely an inanimate object.
Yet, who would have expected that within the statue, there was a divine thought left akin to a Daoist Venerable.
"This thought cannot last long, I await the sir beyond the domain."
The Literary Emperor nodded with a smile towards Su Changqing, then glanced at the powerhouses standing in the sky,
"Behave yourselves accordingly."
With those words, the phantom of the Literary Emperor dissipated in an instant.
It seemed that the vast righteous aura that emerged had drained the last vestige of power the Literary Emperor had left.
"Could it be that those Great Emperors are still alive?"
Hearing the Literary Emperor’s words, Su Changqing’s eyes flickered as he fell into contemplation.
The many powerful figures watching the battle were awed by the Literary Emperor’s gaze, feeling a chill in their hearts.
Behave accordingly? Meet beyond the domain?
Could it be that the Great Emperors born of the Cangyan Continent had left some contingency beyond the domain?
No one spoke, and the world seemed to fall into silence.
But suddenly, a laugh echoed like a cry.
"Hahaha, we were wrong, we truly were wrong."
Mu Ren, with disheveled hair, laughed hysterically like a madman, "So this is Confucianism, this is the Dao we pursue."
"As a Confucian cultivator, thinking only of entering the court, hahaha, what a joke!"
"An enormous joke!"
The revelation of those four ultimate principles made Mu Yun’s long-held belief collapse instantly.
Along with it, his Emperor Level Dao heart also shattered.
As a Confucian cultivator, he did not fear death, nor failure.
But he could not tolerate becoming a sinner of Confucianism.
Only now did he truly understand how absurdly wrong he had been.