Chen Sanliang and Zhou Qiucheng do not have a Primordial Spirit, but their Essence, Qi, and Spirit contain their belief and path. Although not a Primordial Spirit, they can still be concentrated without dispersing.
Verbal communication between people is not the highest form of exchange. Many genuine emotions and wills cannot be fully expressed through language; only direct clash of thoughts and direct exchange of information can truly and swiftly convey one’s will.
As their thoughts collided, their minds transformed into gases of two colors. Chen Sanliang’s Divine Soul manifested as scarlet, resembling a blazing fire, emanating both the overbearing ambition to conquer the world and the vitality of sparks capable of igniting a prairie.
Combining royal path with overbearing power!
As for Zhou Qiucheng?
Zhou Qiucheng’s path presented as milky-white, embodying a pure and grand Vast Righteous Qi, with an unselfish and boundless heart.
"If Zhou Qiucheng’s heart is truly unselfish... he still harbors guilt, considering he once schemed against Jiang Nan and used Jiang Nan to drive his own son Zhou Zhen down the mountain. This might be Zhou Qiucheng’s greatest flaw." Zhang Chen’s thoughts flickered, involuntarily raising a concern for Zhou Qiucheng.
Moreover, judging from the previous verbal exchange, Zhou Qiucheng pales in comparison to Chen Sanliang.
The clashing of thoughts happened swiftly, and before Zhang Chen’s thoughts could shift, countless information streams were exchanged in an instant, and after thirty breaths, the two gases suddenly separated and returned to their respective bodies.
Then Chen Sanliang opened his eyes, standing there with a rosy glow on his face, while opposite him, Zhou Qiucheng had his eyes tightly shut, sweating profusely and spitting out fresh blood from his mouth.
"A selfish heart indeed, yet you still lost!" Chen Sanliang’s voice was as before, without resentment or triumph after winning, possessing only the path of a heart as calm as Still Water.
"You merely suppressed me slightly, how can you say I lost?" Zhou Qiucheng opened his eyes, filled with indignation.
"Losing means failing, pretending to play tricks is not the behavior of a gentleman." Chen Sanliang retorted.
"Besides, your path is supposedly an unselfish heart, yet you committed acts against your heart’s morals, so do you really need me to spell them out? For your son, you defiled a girl’s reputation, can you still claim ’unselfish heart’? The path you realized, even you cannot adhere to, it’s like a castle in the air, looking splendid but lacking foundation. If I were you, I would have discarded my path long ago, seeking solitude to live the rest of my pathetic life, rather than shamelessly parade in public." Chen Sanliang switched to a venomous verbal assault, criticizing Zhou Qiucheng in front of numerous heroes.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiucheng’s complexion changed. All his actions in life were just, except for one thing that betrayed his conscience.
Thus, facing Chen Sanliang’s ’verbal blade,’ Zhou Qiucheng’s expression changed for the first time. His eyes stared fiercely at Chen Sanliang, lips tightly pressed, his face pale as paper.
"If you lead all Jiangnan scholars to pledge allegiance to me, subdue to my path of Creation, I can help you perfect your theory and mend your flaw." Chen Sanliang proposed.
Those who debate the dao with Chen Sanliang either submit or are utterly destroyed. Chen Sanliang hadn’t delivered the final fatal blow yet, waiting for Zhou Qiucheng’s decision.
Zhou Qiucheng took a breath upon hearing this: "To betray the Human Race and join those bloodthirsty beasts is an outrageous joke. Do you think you deserve my allegiance?"
Hearing Zhou Qiucheng’s words, Chen Sanliang sighed quietly: "Advising the doomed is futile; your unwillingness to live is not my fault."
Here Chen Sanliang ’revealed the fangs long prepared,’ filled with disdain as he looked at Zhou Qiucheng: "You claim to have an unselfish heart, so let me ask you, how do you explain the matter with Jiang Nan? Jiang Nan was just an innocent girl, how was she involved? You ruined her reputation, made her a laughing stock of the world, how can your heart be at peace?"
Upon Chen Sanliang’s questioning, Zhou Qiucheng blushed with shame, feeling humiliated. Not only was his dirty secret exposed under the sun for the world to see, bringing shock and anger, but also a sense of shame without refuge.
At this time, Zhou Qiucheng felt angry and ashamed, his eyes gradually reddening.
This scheme was known only to himself and Zhang Chen, how did Chen Sanliang find out? Considering Zhang Chen and Chen Sanliang’s relationship, Zhou Qiucheng thought: "Could it be Zhang Chen betrayed me long ago? Given his relation with Chen Sanliang, such betrayal is quite plausible. But I treated him well, how could he betray me?"
Now Zhou Qiucheng’s mind was racing with countless thoughts, like a tangled thread, unable to find clarity.
Zhang Chen looked at Zhou Qiucheng and immediately realized Zhou Qiucheng’s inner turmoil. Zhang Chen couldn’t help but let out a gentle sigh, silently thinking, "There’s no wall in this world that doesn’t let the wind through. Zhou Qiucheng has done something shameful; how can he hope that absolutely nobody knows? That’s simply impossible."
"Although I don’t know how Chen Sanliang found out about this, it’s clear that Zhou Qiucheng has started to suspect me." Zhang Chen silently mused in his heart.
"Zhou Qiucheng, I ask you, can your grand path truly withstand scrutiny? Even you, the founder, cannot achieve Unity of Knowledge and Action, cannot succeed in proving the Dao. This is fundamentally a vain and empty path! You have no chance of evidencing the Dao; you are straying further and further down the wrong path. If I were you, I would quickly tear up my vain and empty doctrine before misleading your disciples." Chen Sanliang’s voice carried a majestic power.
"Pfft~"
With Chen Sanliang’s rebuke, Zhou Qiucheng’s body trembled, spewing a mouthful of fresh blood, then blood flowed from his seven orifices, aging him by ten years in an instant. His Essence, Qi, and Spirit quickly dissipated along with the dispute over the Dao.
Zhou Qiucheng failed in his debate on the Dao and dissolved his path on the spot.
"Sir!!!" The various scholars and Great Scholars surrounding him exclaimed in shock, their voices filled with disbelief.
Who could have thought that Zhou Qiucheng, regarded as the leader of Jiangnan, would be defeated so quickly and terribly by Chen Sanliang? It was simply unimaginable.
Though shocked, none rushed forward. Instead, they stood anxiously on the outside, watching.
Hearing the crowd’s exclamations, Zhou Qiucheng waved his hand, signaling them to hold their peace. He took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on Chen Sanliang across from him, "I have a question in my heart that I don’t understand. How did you come to know of my affairs?"
As he spoke, Zhou Qiucheng’s gaze shifted to Jiang Nan in the crowd. Jiang Nan stood there, stunned as if struck by Thunder, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Hearing Zhou Qiucheng’s question, Chen Sanliang revealed a smug smile, "I naturally have my own means, but why should I tell you? I ask you now, do you yield or not?"
Understanding that the other party would not reveal the truth no matter what, Zhou Qiucheng did not pursue the matter further but instead retorted, "What if I yield? What if I don’t yield?"
"If you lead the scholars of Jinling City to join my Universal Education path, then the scholars of Jinling City will have the chance to survive. If not, Jinling will be turned to scorched earth, and all scholars within Jinling City will perish." Chen Sanliang’s voice was cold and tyrannical.
As these words fell, the crowd fell silent, and all scholars turned their gaze to Chen Sanliang. At this moment, with their future and fate, their life and death at stake, no one dared to speak up.
Upon hearing Chen Sanliang’s words, Zhou Qiucheng coldly laughed, "Do you think you have what it takes to turn Jinling into scorched earth?"
Chen Sanliang ignored Zhou Qiucheng’s words and turned to the scholars, "We are all nobility, all people of dignity, with our blood intermingled. We are like family. I do not wish to turn against you with swords and spears. If you all are willing to join my Universal Education path, I will not trouble you. You may bring your family and join the Human-Demon Race to avoid calamity. If you continue to stubbornly resist, the Demon Race army is about to strike at the city gates, and you must not blame me for disregarding the ties of kinship."
Chen Sanliang pointed at Zhou Qiucheng, "I know some of you still cannot part with your home industries, relying on Zhou Qiucheng to protect you, but can Zhou Qiucheng truly protect you? He has already been defeated in the debate of the Dao. What power does a defeated general have to contend with me?"
Chen Sanliang’s words were full of fierce vitality, causing unrest among the people below. They looked at each other, eyes reflecting an indescribable light.
Do you know why?
If before the debate, they hoped Zhou Qiucheng could battle Chen Sanliang in a series of wheels to help preserve their wealth and withstand the Demon Race’s invasion, but now that Zhou Qiucheng has failed, the fate of Jinling is already sealed, and they must seek a path for their families.
It cannot be said they are unfaithful; it is truly because Zhou Qiucheng failed them. They’ve supported you, and yet you still lost; they cannot follow you to the grave, can they?
They looked at each other, eyes showing a hint of movement.
Seeing his faction waver, Zhou Qiucheng quickly spoke, "Everyone, do not be swayed by this knave’s seduction. You have witnessed Jiangnan’s tragic condition, the Demon Race army leaving nothing alive, countless Human Race compatriots slaughtered cleanly by that group of miscreants. Those not of our race must have different hearts. If you choose to join the Demon Race now, how can you know they won’t turn on us after we lay down our arms? Chen Sanliang once vowed to cleanse Jiangnan of all living beings; how can you be seduced by his demonic words?"
Seeing his allies begin to waver, Zhou Qiucheng became anxious, trying to regain their trust and rally them against Chen Sanliang.