Hearing Zhou Qiucheng’s words, Zhang Chen smiled lightly. "Sir, are you giving up already? Have you not heard, ’After mountains and rivers seem to cut off all roads, in the shade of willows and the brightness of flowers, another village appears’?"
"Where are there still mountains and rivers to turn around?" Zhou Qiucheng sighed helplessly, his voice filled with resignation. "To know fate is to know how hard it is to go against Heaven. At my age, with half my body already in the earth, once I fall into the dust, where is there still a chance to make a comeback?"
Zhang Chen smiled at this. "Does sir know the path of Chen Sanliang’s rise? As far as I know, back then Chen Sanliang’s Way was abolished in a single debate, yet from then till now he has risen and swept across the land of Jiangnan, and it has been less than five years."
The Way of Confucianism, to awaken and ascend the summit is but a single thought; to have one’s cultivation abolished is also but a single thought.
"Chen Sanliang is a miracle that cannot be replicated. I have at least that much self-knowledge; how would I dare compare myself with Chen Sanliang?" Zhou Qiucheng gave a bitter smile.
Zhang Chen, however, did not agree. "What sir does not know is that Chen Sanliang was able to awaken because I pointed the way for him. Even his comprehension of today’s Great Dao was something I personally guided."
"What?" Zhou Qiucheng stared at Zhang Chen in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Chen Sanliang stirred up such a tempest across the world—so the real culprit is actually the man standing before him?
Then Zhou Qiucheng let out a sigh of regret. "It’s a pity. Even if you could have a flash of Spiritual Mechanism and enlighten Chen Sanliang, you still cannot enlighten me. After all, that kind of subtle inspiration doesn’t come whenever you please."
"As for sir’s Great Dao, I too have some insights in my heart." Zhang Chen looked toward Zhou Qiucheng, smiling as he spoke.
"Hm?" Zhou Qiucheng’s body trembled at his words; he jolted as if struck, his gaze instantly burning as he turned to Zhang Chen. "What conjectures do you have? Speak quickly. If it succeeds, you will be my teacher from now on; when I see you I will pay you the rites of a disciple!"
Zhang Chen smiled. "Sir’s Great Dao is Iron-Faced Impartiality. Such a Dao is a bit too narrow, and too prone to offending people; on the road to proving the Dao, it will forge countless enemies. Why not exchange Iron-Faced Impartiality for the Celestial Laws of Heaven and Earth—act according to the Celestial Laws, and in carrying out those Laws, be iron-faced and impartial. To walk in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, that is true Iron-Faced Impartiality."
What is the essence of Iron-Faced Impartiality? Is it not simply adherence to the laws of the dynasty?
But the dynasty’s laws are constrained by its sovereign, far too narrow, and even more offensive than Iron-Faced Impartiality itself. So Zhang Chen offered an additional path: to follow the Law of the Heavenly Dao.
"This is what is called, ’Observe Heaven’s Dao, and carry out Heaven’s conduct.’ As long as sir acts in accordance with the Celestial Laws of the Heavenly Dao, only then is it truly Iron-Faced Impartiality toward all beings under Heaven." Zhang Chen smiled as he watched Zhou Qiucheng.
Zhou Qiucheng was struck as if by Thunder, standing there in a daze; in an instant his gaze grew misty as he sank into contemplation.
The words Zhang Chen spoke not only stood on a height far above his own, but fully encompassed his former Dao of Iron-Faced Impartiality.
"But Heaven and Earth have no written statutes, no explicit legal articles; how am I to follow the Celestial Laws of the Heavenly Dao?" Zhou Qiucheng had only just begun to seek the Dao, and already he ran into a difficulty.
"It is quite simple: unite Heaven and Man to comprehend Heaven and Earth. Use your own heart to sense the operating patterns of Heaven and Earth, and you will naturally understand where the Celestial Laws lie, where the rules of Heaven and Earth reside. What is called the laws of Heaven are that water flows downward, that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The rotation of the four seasons—every one is the Celestial Laws of Heaven and Earth, the patterns of the Heavenly Dao." Zhang Chen continued to guide Zhou Qiucheng:
"The Celestial Laws of Heaven and Earth are hidden within the workings of Heaven and Earth themselves."
After hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Zhou Qiucheng sank completely into stillness, sitting there motionless like a wooden stake.
Zhang Chen sized Zhou Qiucheng up from head to toe, and saw an inexplicable Qi Mechanism circulating around him. His Essence, Qi, and Spirit were now operating according to some subtle pattern, as if undergoing a strange transformation; faint threads of Literary Qi were once more germinating within his soul.
Zhang Chen examined Zhou Qiucheng and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. "His natural endowment is very high, no worse than Chen Sanliang’s. He merely chose the wrong road and strayed onto a misguided path."
The selfless heart of man is, in the end, but a minor Way; the impartiality of Heaven and Earth is the Great Dao.
Seeing Zhou Qiucheng fall into a state of comprehending the Dao, Zhang Chen did not disturb him. Instead, his eyes turned to the distant firmament, sensing the aura of the whole Jinling City. He could feel that Gong Hei, possessed by the Blood God Child, had already arrived outside the Dragon Tiger Escort Agency, secretly protecting Chen Ping.
He could also hear Gu Mingyue and the others of Yellow Heaven Dao fleeing in disarray, escaping far away only to run headlong into a Twelve Primordial Stars Array laid down by the Demon Race, trapping them within Jinling City.
"Damn it, what the hell is this thing, to actually block our way?" Huang Chao stared at the invisible barrier before him, a look of surprise and puzzlement in his eyes.
Gu Mingyue’s face was unsightly. "This is Array Power. Someone has laid down an array that has sealed the entire Jinling City within it. We thought we were the mantis, hunting Chongzheng Academy, yet we did not know that someone in the dark wants to play the oriole, trapping us here to die as well."
Huang Chao’s face changed at these words. "Who is so bold as to dare strike at our Yellow Heaven Dao?"
Gu Mingyue waved his hand at Huang Chao and said, "You step back for now, let me make a move and see if I can break this grand array."
Huang Chao obediently retreated upon hearing this, and saw Gu Mingyue elevate his Qi Mechanism, the power of the Eleventh Tier surging majestically around his body. The next moment, a water-blue beam of light burst out from him and blasted toward that invisible barrier.
But as his Divine Technique collided with the barrier, strange and unfathomable symbols appeared upon it, actually dissolving Gu Mingyue’s attack. The power of Gu Mingyue at the Eleventh Tier couldn’t shake the other side in the slightest!
"I don’t know which faction you belong to, that you would make a move here? I am a cultivator of the Yellow Heaven Dao. I ask that you give my Yellow Heaven Dao some face and open a passage." Gu Mingyue stood up and spoke.
As his words fell, the space outside the barrier twisted, and a burly man with a bear’s head appeared beyond the barrier.
The man’s muffled voice boomed like Thunder: "Gu Mingyue, stop your shouting. Even the face of the Great Virtuous Master is useless here. The very target today is your Yellow Heaven Dao."
"Bear Great Saint!" Gu Mingyue froze when he saw who had arrived, his eyes full of shock. "Why is it you? You... you actually dare ignore the alliance between Yellow Heaven Dao and the Demon Race and strike at us so viciously! Are you not afraid that the Great Virtuous Master will pursue your crimes afterward?"
After seeing Bear Great Saint’s figure, Gu Mingyue’s expression instantly turned gloomy, his heart gradually sinking to the bottom, a bad premonition welling up within him.
He understood now that the other side had come fully prepared; this was a plot by the Demon Race aimed at the Yellow Heaven Dao.
"Hehe, your Yellow Heaven Dao contends with my Demon Race over territory and lands, and even dares covet the Northern Land—truly a crime deserving of ten thousand deaths. This Jinling City will be the burial ground of you, this Yellow Heaven Dao powerhouse. Yellow Heaven Dao has two Twelfth Tier existences; how could my Demon Race sleep in peace?" Bear Demon King smiled coldly, his voice filled with vicious intent.
Of course, the key was still the struggle over faith and over territory.
Previously, the Demon Race and Yellow Heaven Dao could coexist peacefully because Prince Pingbian’s Mansion stood in the middle, maintaining balance. Now that Prince Pingbian’s Mansion was gone, Yellow Heaven Dao had begun to show itself again, and even a Twelfth Tier existence had emerged. How could the Demon Race possibly tolerate their existence?
"If we can take the opportunity to kill you and Zhou Qiucheng, erasing two top Human Race experts, it’s only beneficial and not harmful to my Demon Race. Why wouldn’t my Demon Race gladly do it?" Bear Great Saint let out a cold laugh.
Gu Mingyue’s face grew darker at his words; he had never imagined that the mantis stalking the cicada would itself be prey to the oriole behind—he had actually been treated as someone else’s prey.
"Could this grand array be the Demon Race’s Twelve Primordial Stars Grand Array?" Gu Mingyue shifted his gaze from Bear Great Saint and examined the array before him, asking.
"If we didn’t bring out this array, we wouldn’t dare encircle and kill a Great Zhenren like you." Bear Great Saint said with a smiling tone.
Gu Mingyue’s face was ashen now; he was so furious he could hardly speak. Only after a long while did he say, "You Demon Race are truly something! Just don’t let me find a chance to escape, or I’ll make your Demon Race pay the price."
"A price? Today there is absolutely no way you can escape! This is the Heaven and Earth Net that my Demon Race has painstakingly laid down—how could we allow you to flee?" Bear Great Saint sneered coldly.
Gu Mingyue said nothing at that, instead pulling Huang Chao around and leaving at once.
"Ancestor, is this Twelve Primordial Stars Grand Array really that formidable?" Huang Chao asked.
"This is the Demon Race’s newest developed grand array. Even if a Twelfth Tier powerhouse falls into it, they’ll be slain. Now that we’ve fallen into this array, it’s ten deaths with no life. Unless the Great Virtuous Master senses something wrong and breaks this grand array from the outside, we’re doomed. What we must do now is use every means to stall for time and wait for the Great Virtuous Master to make a move." As Gu Mingyue spoke, a trace of unease flashed in his eyes:
"Go summon the disciples of my Yellow Heaven Dao and have everyone gather and await me. I need to see someone, or with just us, I fear we cannot withstand this Twelve Primordial Stars Grand Array."
Gu Mingyue thought of Zhang Chen’s heaven-defying combat strength; only by hauling Zhang Chen onto their chariot would they have a chance to survive within the Demon Race’s Twelve Primordial Stars Grand Array.
Huang Chao accepted the order and departed, leaving Gu Mingyue standing in place, hesitating briefly before finally gritting his teeth and rushing toward the direction of Chongzheng Academy.
Now, in Chongzheng Academy, Zhang Chen had already sensed Gu Mingyue’s Qi Mechanism. A streak of flowing light flickered in the void, and Gu Mingyue crossed the void to appear in front of Zhang Chen.
"Zhang Chen, don’t make a move—let me speak first." Before Gu Mingyue had even arrived, his voice rang out ahead of him.
Seeing the ugly expression on Huang Chao’s face, Zhang Chen understood why they had come. The corner of his mouth curled into a strange smile. "Gu Mingyue, have you come seeking death? I let you escape with your life before, and yet you dare come back now."
"Zhang Chen, you brute, listen to me finish first." Gu Mingyue grew anxious at his words and hurriedly shouted, "If you don’t let me finish, you’ll be in big trouble."