Chapter 518: The Scholarly Grand Universe

Chapter 518: The Scholarly Grand Universe



Those dressed in Confucian robes seemed to be aware of the environment in this demon-infested world, and they were not surprised by the dense and oppressive demonic aura that overwhelmed the spiritual energy.

They all possessed profound cultivation in nurturing their inner energy, and even if they felt disdain for such an environment, they remained composed and gave no indication of their discomfort.

It was only when they emerged from the Time Abyss and encountered Tang Xiaotang face-to-face that they were taken by surprise.

Tang Xiaotang's gaze swept over them, assessing the group of newcomers.

There weren't many of them, just about a dozen.

The leader had a scholarly and refined appearance, looking to be in his forties, with serene eyes.

His profound literary talent was evident without any deliberate display, and within a limited range, he directly isolated the surrounding demonic aura, as if creating a small world of his own.

Tang Xiaotang had never met Jiang Fengge before, and the only Confucian Sage she had interacted with face-to-face was Zhang Wantong. Zheng Baiyu, in his unique situation, could be considered half a sage.

However, this didn't hinder her sharp judgment at this moment, as she instantly recognized the middle-aged scholar before her as a Confucian Sage.

The others who accompanied this middle-aged scholar to the Time Abyss were all seasoned Confucian cultivators.

Although communication was not very convenient, Tang Xiaotang had previously heard from Lei Jun and the others about Zhang Wantong, Zheng Baiyu, and Gao Tian Sui, who had slipped into another Grand Universe.

According to them, in that world, Confucianism had gained great fortune and dominated the Grand Universe, giving rise to numerous astonishing geniuses and top-tier experts.

Zhang Wantong referred to that world as the Scholarly Grand Universe.

Seeing these unfamiliar Confucian cultivators, Tang Xiaotang guessed that they likely originated from that world.

The other Confucian cultivators, upon seeing Tang Xiaotang, were initially surprised but quickly regained their composure. Many of them, however, directed their gazes towards the middle-aged scholar who led the group.

The middle-aged scholar maintained a calm expression and bowed to Tang Xiaotang, "Greetings, True Monarch of the Taoist Sect. Yuanzhou Huo Ying pays his respects."

An elegant elderly scholar beside him followed suit and stepped forward to greet Tang Xiaotang, "Greetings, True Monarch of the Taoist Sect. Liting Yue Song pays his respects."

The others did the same.

However, Tang Xiaotang did not return the greeting directly. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Huo Ying and the others, "Do you know me?"

Huo Ying smiled and said calmly, "We have heard of True Lord Tang from the Taoist Talisman Sect, haven't we? It's an honor to finally meet you, True Lord Tang, in this life."

The others showed signs of unease under Tang Xiaotang's somewhat impolite stare.

However, Huo Ying and Yue Song remained composed.

Yue Song, after introducing himself, remained silent, but he privately sent a sound transmission to the others, "Remain calm, Elder Huo will make the decision."

Someone responded through sound transmission, "If what Zheng Beichen said is true, this female crown prince is Zhang Wantong's follower, and they are from the same group as those commoners..."

Yue Song replied, "The overall situation is of utmost importance. We have another crucial task in this journey. If we succeed, we can directly stabilize the situation on the other side. Let's not create unnecessary complications.

The environment in this evil world filled with demons and monsters is harsh, and the situation is unclear. As newcomers exploring this world, our priority is to investigate the environmental conditions here.

There's no rush to eliminate Zhang Wantong's followers later. If we can use them to gather information about this world, it's not a bad idea. For now, let's follow Elder Huo's instructions and cooperate with them for the time being."

The others agreed, maintaining their composure.

"You're from the Scholarly Grand Universe, aren't you?" Tang Xiaotang's expression turned cold. "I haven't heard of your names, but... Yuanzhou, Liting, if you're from the Confucian world, you must be from the old school, right?"

Direct insults might not cause these Confucian cultivators to lose their composure.

However, upon hearing the term "old school," their faces slightly changed, and some of them were about to retort.

Only Huo Ying remained calm, "True Lord Tang, have you personally visited our Grand Universe?"

"No, I haven't had the chance yet," Tang Xiaotang replied.

Huo Ying said, "You're welcome to visit us in the future, True Lord Tang. Seeing is believing, and hearing is not."

Tang Xiaotang remained silent, observing them from head to toe.

Huo Ying continued, "We don't lie in front of a true immortal. I've also heard that True Lord Tang is acquainted with Zhang Wantong. As scholars, we may have different paths from the Taoist Sages, but we bear no hostility towards you. Although our Grand Universe lacks the Dragon and Tiger Mountain sacred ground of the Taoist Talisman Sect, we have other Daoist traditions. I, too, often discuss the Dao and drink tea with several Daoist elders.

At the very least, in this evil world filled with demonic aura, we can join forces to subdue demons and eliminate monsters, supporting each other. What do you think, True Lord Tang?"

Tang Xiaotang raised her eyebrows slightly.

In the next moment, the massive Supreme Vessel appeared before Huo Ying, Yue Song, and the others, casting a shadow over their figures and faces, "Then speak honestly, what evil intentions are you hiding?"

Previously, when pursuing the Great Sun Demon Sage near the Time Abyss, she had only sensed a threatening omen without any malicious intent. It seemed that Huo Ying and the others had arrived by chance, inadvertently causing the Time Abyss to fluctuate and create an unexpected disturbance.

But now, Tang Xiaotang could clearly sense the hostility and malice directed at her, temporarily restrained but intensely clear.

Finally, Huo Ying's expression changed.

The first encounter, and the other party immediately takes action without hesitation?

Not only did they act, but Tang Xiaotang's speed was so swift that even Yue Song and the others were caught off guard, let alone Huo Ying, who had a sense of being unprepared.

Fortunately, he was cautious by nature, and before coming, he was aware of the unrest in the Demon World, so he had prepared himself early on.

As the Supreme Vessel approached, invisible waves rippled through the void, and beyond Huo Ying and the others, there was another presence that had been hidden and now revealed itself.

Amidst the flowing light of white jade, a massive white jade carriage suddenly appeared, protecting Huo Ying and the others within, intending to avoid the approaching Supreme Vessel.

"Good!"

Tang Xiaotang shouted, and in an instant, she was already beside the white jade carriage, raising her hand to press the Originating Pearl onto the carriage.

The white jade light erupted outwards, as if an invisible force had exploded from within, shattering this precious treasure of Confucianism.

Countless rays of white jade scattered, some breaking into fragments, and some even turning directly into ashes.

...What kind of destructive power is this?

Is this a Talisman Sect immortal from the First Tier of the Immortal Realm? Even more ferocious than the rumors!

Huo Ying's heart raced with surprise. Initially, he had planned to steer the white jade carriage aside, but upon seeing this, he dared not hesitate for a moment and didn't even have time to consider Yue Song and the others. Instead, he turned back and rushed back into the Time Abyss.

This time, Tang Xiaotang didn't stop as she had done when the Great Sun Demon Sage entered the Time Abyss. While dealing with Yue Song and the others, she kept a close eye on Huo Ying, and without hesitation, she also charged into the chaotic abyss of time and space.

Outside the Time Abyss, in the Demon World, demon winds raged incessantly.

After the tremors of the Time Abyss subsided, the demonic aura outside the abyss valley remained turbulent, swirling with layer upon layer of storms.

After an unknown amount of time, a black-robed monk appeared, searching in the direction of the Time Abyss.

In his hand, he held a piece of shattered jade.

His face, though expressionless like a mask, remained calm, but his eyes shone with a crazed and twisted light.

It was none other than Wu Jing, a descendant of the Demon Buddha lineage.

Having obtained a piece of shattered jade unexpectedly in the distance, Wu Jing followed the storm of demonic energy and found his way here.

He surveyed the surroundings.

As a descendant of the Demon Buddha lineage, he generally had little involvement with alchemy or artifact refinement techniques.

But this piece of shattered jade had caught his attention.

Searching around, he successfully found a few more scattered fragments of the same jade.

These pieces of shattered jade came from the destroyed white jade carriage.

Wu Jing was not concerned about the white jade carriage itself or the Confucian principles and artistic realm contained within.

What interested him were the important raw materials used to create the white jade carriage and the jade stones themselves.

These were heavenly treasures and earthly treasures that had already become extinct in the Demon World.

However, for their Demon Buddha lineage, these materials could have immeasurable value.

Even the Great Annihilation Bodhisattva had only obtained a small amount in the past, and they had long been exhausted.

And now... Wu Jing's expression remained unmoved, like a mountain unperturbed by the eight winds.

But the light in his eyes flickered with increasing intensity.

After being refined by Confucian cultivators, the white jade material had undergone significant changes, making it difficult for Wu Jing to utilize.

Nonetheless, he carefully searched the area, then returned to the Earthly Realm with the white jade fragments to report to the Great Annihilation Bodhisattva.

...

In the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Vast Universe, later on, Lei Jun received news from Tang Xiaotang.

He arrived at the Boundless Realm, gazing at the Time Abyss, deep in thought.

Wang Guiyuan stood beside him, "Has Tang Xiaotang left that Demon World?"

Lei Jun nodded, "Yes, the Confucian Sage named Huo Ying was killed by her, and the Great Sun Demon Sage who had been entangled with her earlier may have also rushed into the Scholarly Grand Universe."

Wang Guiyuan murmured, "Scholarly Grand Universe..."

Lei Jun responded with an "En," "Just as it should be, with scholarly lineages standing tall."

After the initial loss of contact, Zhang Wantong managed to reestablish communication with Lei Jun and Zhang Hui.

Due to the obstruction of the Time Abyss, communication was inconvenient, but through Zhang Wantong, Lei Jun and the others gained a general understanding of the basic situation on the other side.

It was rather speechless.

Lei Jun felt that if Ye Moquan, Ye Yan, and the others were still alive, they would surely yearn for that place.

If the Five Kingdoms and Sixteen Kingdoms of the Early Great Tang Dynasty were an upgraded version of the ancient Great Tang Dynasty's human emperor and the Five Surnames and Seven Lineages ruling together, then the Scholarly Grand Universe on the other side was even more advanced than the previous Five Kingdoms and Sixteen Kingdoms.

It resembled the ancient times when various feudal lords and ministers stood tall, governing the four directions.

To some extent, it also resembled the shadows of the Ming Dynasty and the Tianli Ming Dynasty in the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Vast Universe.

In the Scholarly Grand Universe, there was no human emperor gathering earthly energy to form a national fortune dragon vein.

Instead, there were literary veins.

Far surpassing the family literary veins of the various great clans in the history of the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Vast Universe.

In that world, the earthly energy and literary veins surged upwards like a gushing spring, standing tall in the four directions, in various places.

And also standing tall in various families.

Hence, the name 'Scholarly Forest' originated from this.

Due to this reason, in that grand universe, Confucian cultivators held an absolute dominant position.

Although there were also Buddhist, Taoist, Shamanic, and Martial lineages, they could only rely on the various families that passed down Confucian classics.

There, it was not like the accumulation of Neo-Confucian rituals and regulations, covering the sky and permeating the folk.

In the scholarly families of the Grand Universe, there was another intriguing characteristic that drew attention...

"Dragons can truly give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes, and geniuses to geniuses." Lei Jun gazed quietly into the Time Abyss, "But the son of a mouse can only dig holes."

Wang Guiyuan responded, "According to the messages sent back by the Tang Emperor, it's not absolute, but the chances are much greater compared to our side."

Lei Jun spoke softly, "Although it's not absolute, the difference is actually quite significant."

Wang Guiyuan sighed lightly.

As Lei Jun had said, the key point indeed lay in the last sentence—the son of a mouse can only dig holes.

In the Grand Universe of the Scholarly Forest, the offspring of top geniuses from elite families had a much higher chance of becoming top geniuses themselves, and this was especially true when they inherited the same root bone lineage.

An exceptional root bone quality was often confined within a single family and surname.

Even genius parents might give birth to relatively mediocre children.

However, the crux of the matter was...

Ordinary parents could never give birth to genius offspring.

Throughout the history of the Grand Universe of the Scholarly Forest, this situation had persisted for thousands, nearly tens of thousands of years.

Thus, numerous aristocratic families and officials had emerged, and the later ones found it increasingly difficult to shake the established order.

"On this trip, Little Sister encountered the elders of the Yuanzhou Huo family and the Liling Yue family."

Lei Jun explained, "The former has a root bone that inspires heaven and embraces earth, while the latter has a root bone that opens the eyes and empathizes."

In Confucianism, the highest-level root bone quality is called the Flower Pen, which is comparable to the Daoist Spirit Body.

Above the Flower Pen is the Eye-Opening Pen, which is akin to the Daoist Saint Body root bone.

Even higher is the Heaven-Inspiring Pen, which is similar to the Daoist Immortal Body root bone.

One type of Heaven-Inspiring Pen is the Heaven-Sensing, Earth-Embracing root bone.

In the Vast Universe of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, Zhou Pu of the Later Han Dynasty possessed such a root bone. However, due to the environment and history of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Zhou Pu chose the path of martial arts.

Through his own efforts and a series of encounters, he managed to avoid wasting his talent, and his story has become a celebrated tale among the people.

The issue lies in the fact that Zhou Pu's ancestors never possessed such an exceptional root bone.

To be precise, not even those with the Flower Pen or Eye-Opening Pen, the superior root bones of Confucianism, had appeared in his lineage.

If Zhou Pu had descendants, it was highly unlikely that any of them would inherit his Heaven-Sensing, Earth-Embracing ability.

However, the Yuanzhou Huo family in the Grand Universe of the Scholarly Forest was not like this.

Although Zhang Wantong mentioned a different family and not the Huo family, their situations were similar.

Throughout their thousands of years of history, the number of Heaven-Inspiring Pen root bones born into their family exceeded what could be counted on both hands.

"It's closely related to the scholarly lineage's connection with the heavenly and earthly energy," Lei Jun shook his head. "If it weren't for this, even if childbirth might damage a cultivator's foundation, there would probably still be a baby boom."

Wang Guiyuan said, "It seems their scholarly lineage values purity more than bloodline. If not, they would likely engage in widespread annexation among themselves."

Lei Jun added, "It's almost like forced annexation. The various aristocratic families in close proximity have intricate relationships, and there have been numerous root bone qualities that appeared briefly in history but then completely disappeared without a trace."

Chu Kun, who had come to Boundless upon hearing the news, listened silently but couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother, why did that Grand Universe become like this?"

"After the ancient times, a Sage Teacher should have emerged in that Grand Universe of the Scholarly Forest," Lei Jun mused.

Wang Guiyuan nodded slightly.

In Confucianism, those who reach the ninth heaven and open the immortal gate are called Earthly Sages, also known as Literary Saints or Confucian Saints.

Above the Confucian Saints are the Sage Teachers, who are on par with the Daoist Cavern True and Unity with the Dao.

Confucian recitation is one of the earliest lineages in the human world, alongside Daoist talismans, shamanic dances, shamanic blessings, martial body cultivation, and martial weaponry.

However, Confucian classics appeared later.

Even Confucian archery was incorporated and improved upon later, drawing from some martial weaponry traditions before it was finalized.

Before this, the Confucian recitation lineage had never produced a Sage Teacher.

The title 'Sage Teacher' originated from the first person in Confucian history, who was revered as the Supreme Sage Teacher.

Subsequently, the term 'Supreme Sage Teacher' became exclusively associated with him, and 'Sage Teacher' became the honorific title for the realm above the three immortal virtues of Confucian Saints.

Due to historical and temporal reasons, before the ancient calamity, Confucianism had only produced two Sage Teachers—the Supreme Sage and the Lesser Sage—and these became their exclusive titles.

Unfortunately, after the ancient times, they were never seen again.

In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Thousand World, after the ancient great tribulation, no new Confucian Sage Masters have emerged.

This situation in the Confucian Thousand World has inevitably led Lei Jun and the others to speculate.

"Over there, the Celestial Realm no longer exists, leaving only the Human Realm and the Earth Realm. The former is the mortal world, while the latter is a chaotic place filled with demons and monsters, known as the Netherworld. However, the entire Human Realm is suppressed by the Confucian Thousand World."

Lei Jun gazed into the Time Abyss and said, "Perhaps, the Celestial Realm over there isn't completely gone but has undergone a different transformation, or perhaps it exists in a different form."

Chu Kun asked, "Senior Brother, are you speculating that the current existence of the Confucian Thousand World isn't solely reliant on the spiritual energy of the mortal world but is also connected to the Celestial Realm over there?"

Lei Jun replied, "The Zhou Heavenly Son over there is similar to the situation in the original Five Regions and Sixteen Kingdoms, but the terms 'Heavenly Son,' 'Blue Sky,' and 'Heavenly Father' are still used and deeply rooted in the people's hearts."

In a different environment, such terms would hold little significance.

But in that world, when a concept is deeply ingrained in the people's hearts, it often cannot be ignored.

Chu Kun sighed, "In such a world, it's much easier to tear open a rift from the outside than to initiate it from within."

The Confucian Heaven-Inspiring Pen is equivalent to the Taoist Immortal Body's innate talent.

The reason it's called the "Immortal Body" is that in the era before the spiritual energy of the mortal world declined during the Han Dynasty's end, it often implied the opportunity to ascend to immortality.

With an Immortal Body and a calm and insightful nature, one could achieve immortality.

Hence, it is named the Immortal Body.

However, in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Thousand World, after the great tribulation at the end of the Han Dynasty, the severe decline in spiritual energy has made it extremely unfriendly to cultivators. Due to various factors, there have been no more ascensions to immortality, and thus, similar legends have gradually diminished.

Now, with the changing environment, the human cultivation world is rising with the tide, ushering in a prosperous era.

In the Confucian Thousand World, the noble clans that possess the Heaven-Inspiring Pen and exceptional innate talent mean that, under similar conditions, they will continuously produce Confucian Sages.

Compared to the Great Confucianists who live for eight hundred years and bring peace to the world, Confucian Sages have much longer lifespans.

Therefore, unless there is a significant unforeseen event, such families may have the opportunity to have more than one Confucian Sage.

Or even multiple Confucian Sages.

The Yuanzhou Huo family is one such example.

At this stage, it is almost impossible for commoners to challenge them.

Their only rivals are each other.

If not for major upheavals, even second and third-rate noble clans might gradually disappear in the river of time.

Unfortunately, there has been a significant unforeseen event.

Apart from the suppression of the Earth Realm demons by the various noble clans, in the past thousand years, there have been frequent invasions of foreign demons into the Confucian Thousand World.

Their origins are a subject of much debate.

These invading demons are extremely powerful, causing severe losses to the Confucian Thousand World.

The foundations of the various worlds are rooted in the scholarly lineage, which arises from the earthly lineage. As they are in harmony with the earthly lineage, they have a responsibility to protect their territory.

Once they decline, the result may be complete eradication.

Many families have fallen, and numerous scholarly lineages have dried up for this reason.

When a scholarly lineage dries up, the creative thoughts return to the heavens, earth, and nature.

Finally, in the nearby mortal world, talented and outstanding individuals begin to emerge.

"Geniuses beget geniuses. Although the advantage of being first may widen the gap, it doesn't lead to despair. Moreover, even though the opportunities are much greater over there, there are still cases of geniuses being born among commoners in the Confucian Thousand World. The situation isn't entirely hopeless."

Lei Jun said with a sigh, "The biggest problem over there was that commoners could only give birth to commoners. No cultivation geniuses could emerge from the secular world. There were still a few in Buddhism, Taoism, Shamanism, and Martial Arts, but none in Confucianism. As the scholarly lineage condensed, Confucianism became more prosperous. Not only did they pick the best, but they also squeezed out other ancestral lineages, making it increasingly difficult to discover talent among the commoners."

The various noble clans also established academies and offered lectures, even providing free classes to commoners' children, expanding the influence of Confucianism and squeezing out the space for other lineages.

While these students struggled to achieve much in Confucian cultivation, they continuously helped the various families further condense their scholarly lineage through their articles and classics.

Limited by the scholarly lineage, nature, and the heavens and earth, there is a limit to the number of top talents in the same era.

The noble clans are also constantly refining and improving their methods, hoping to gain an edge and reach new heights.

However, the foreign chaos has altered the environment in parts of the Confucian Thousand World.

Subsequently, as time passed, more outstanding individuals began to emerge in the mortal world.

Initially, it was challenging for these young talents to grow.

It was rare for a talent to appear that could achieve the level of profound understanding and possess the Literary Star Illumination bone quality equivalent to the Taoist Dao Body.

A unique perspective on the heavens and earth.

From then on, Confucian academies were no longer confined to noble clans.

While jointly resisting the foreign demons, there was also a large-scale opposition among Confucian cultivators within the Confucian Thousand World. The later cultivators called themselves the New School and referred to the various noble clans as the Old School.

The Old School, in turn, criticized them as lawless and unreasonable, dishonoring literature.

Lei Jun sighed, "Perhaps this is human nature. In recent years, there have been different factions within the Confucian New School as well."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end