At dawn the next day, brilliant sunlight stread into the Cold Palace.
Lu Mingyuan was still sound asleep with a soft, beautiful woman in each arm, their faint fragrance filling the air.
He had been thoroughly entangled last night, and it took him half the night to extricate himself.
A man, after all, must eventually return to his roots—go back to where he ca from.
Lu Mingyuan woke early, washed up, and changed into simple martial arts attire. With a long saber at his waist, he felt refreshed and invigorated.
On the bed, Zi Yun and Hong Wan were still sleeping lazily. Their pure, lovely faces showed the fatigue from their exertions, yet also carried the rosy, vibrant glow of having been well-tended. The corners of their mouths were turned up in faint smiles, dreaming of who knows what.
Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but walk to the bedside, lean down, and kiss each of them on the cheek. Unexpectedly, Hong Wan woke up first, blearily opening her eyes.
They knew that His Highness went to the mountain behind the Cold Palace every day at dawn to practice his martial arts and Cultivation.
Lu Mingyuan opened the window and noticed the remnants of golden clouds in the sky, which were quite dazzling. The brilliant golden clouds from last night had slowly dissipated, leaving a residual curtain of light like a thousand-mile sunrise that refused to fade, creating an exceptionally beautiful scene.
Furthermore, the Imperial Palace was shrouded in nurous phenona: a Golden Divine Lotus, a Celestial Plum Immortal Tree, an Ink-Wash Celestial River, and other marvelous signs appeared one after another.
At the sa ti, he felt an invisible aura on his body beco extrely active, like countless threads emanating from the Great Yan Dragon Vein.
The Dragon Fortune on him had beco active. Clearly, sothing had happened.
"What’s going on?"
Lu Mingyuan was completely baffled.
Hong Wan rubbed her eyes and said, "Your Highness, it was so lively last night. I was woken up by the commotion, but I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t disturb you."
"What happened last night?"
"A heaven-and-earth phenonon ca from the direction of Wenyuan Pavilion. A golden pillar rose into the sky, as if an auspicious on had been born, a Profound Bird soaring toward the heavens."
"Huh? Wenyuan Pavilion?"
Lu Mingyuan’s eyes showed his confusion as he stroked his chin, unable to make sense of it.
’Why Wenyuan Pavilion of all places? I just went there yesterday and even gave Chen Ke a piece of calligraphy. There shouldn’t be any connection between the two.’
’It can’t be such a coincidence, can it?’
...
Even after daybreak, things were far from calm.
The Well Water True Monarch of the Daoist Academy, the young Celestial Master from Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Mad Monk of the Si Institute, the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Suppressing Arhat, the Confucian Scholar of the Drum Institute—nurous Mountain Masters and Vice Mountain Masters of the Three Academies were all gazing toward the Imperial Palace.
The Cultivators of the Three Academies had been alerted last night because several powerful auras were approaching the Imperial Capital. They weren’t intercepted, however, as they were all familiar faces—famous figures from various regions. Then ca the marvelous phenona one after another: the Golden Divine Lotus, the Celestial Plum Immortal Tree, the Ink-Wash Celestial River, and more.
"What’s that commotion?"
"BOOM!"
Suddenly, a wave of resplendent light rippled across the sky.
Several figures appeared, walking out of the sky.
A newly appointed Advanced Scholar, a scholar serving as a Hanlin Academy Imperial Tutor, pointed at the sky and shouted:
"It’s the Saints and Sages! The Saints and Sages are personally visiting the Imperial Capital!"
"Such dense Literary Qi! So many Great Scholars have co!"
"They really are Great Scholars!"
Many students shouted with imnse excitent.
The dense Literary Qi appearing in the sky, accompanied by the arrival of multiple Great Scholars, truly astonished the scholars of the Imperial Capital.
"Could they be here because of the Confucian Dao phenonon in the Imperial Capital?"
"That must be it! There’s no doubt!"
"Who could this person be, to draw the Saints and Sages and so many Great Scholars here in person?"
...
「Wenchang Pavilion.」
The Eighth Prince, Lu Yunqing, was following his daily routine: waking early to offer incense to the Saint’s Stone Statue in the temple. He was, as always, accompanied by a Sword-Carrier Slave.
This old slave was a Military Family Tributor from the Confucian Temple, sent by his teacher to protect him.
Ever since he saw the Literary Fortune Profound Bird slowly rise into the sky last night, unconcealable shock had flashed through his heart. He had sensed that Great Yan’s Fortune had suddenly burst forth with vigorous life.
As a Prince, he was extrely sensitive to the National Fortune. It wasn’t just him; the other Princes must have also sensed the surge in the National Fortune.
With the blessing of the Literary Fortune Profound Bird, the originally declining National Fortune had been revitalized.
This was a special kind of connection between the Confucian Family and the various Dynasties.
If one suffers, all suffer; if one prospers, all prosper.
"Teacher, the Profound Bird has appeared. What should I do?"
Lu Yunqing knelt before the stone statue and asked.
The Saint’s Stone Statue emitted a faint glow, and an ethereal voice echoed in his mind: "This is a phenonon of a Saint. It ans the person who has established their destiny has the potential to beco a Saint. If possible, you should recruit them. It would be of great benefit to your fight for the throne."
A conflicted look remained in Lu Yunqing’s eyes. "Teacher, must we truly go that far?"
"If you wish to end the Nine Dragons Struggle for the Throne, spread Li Xue, and display your talents, you must fight for it yourself. Bloodshed and sacrifice are inevitable—the imperial family is rciless. Having you end this chaotic situation is the most fitting solution."
"I understand, Teacher."
A look of determination appeared in Lu Yunqing’s eyes.
...
Above the towering halls of Holy Bright Palace.
The Literary Fortune Profound Bird had descended from the sky, vanishing after it fled into Wenyuan Pavilion last night.
"The heavens have bestowed Destiny upon Great Yan! In the future, our Great Yan will prosper above all other nations!"
During the morning court session, a Cabinet Minister went out of the city to welco the many Great Scholars and Saints and Sages. His expression was elated and his eyes shone with a brilliant light. Many officials from the Court had co to join the excitent.
The Imperial Tutor Yuan Xuangang, Wang He’fu, Qi Xingyan, and other ministers were all present.
Many people had already gathered secretly outside Wenyuan Pavilion, observing in silence without making a sound to disturb whatever was happening inside.
anwhile, Chen Ke was still inside the pavilion, nurturing the Vast Righteous Qi within his chest, completely unaware of the events outside.
He had discovered that a wisp of Profound Bird Qi inside him seed to have co to life, spitting out a Spiritual Fla that was helping him refine his Literary Qi.
"Destiny is giving back! The Profound Bird is refining his Literary Qi for him! This is a truly imnse Opportunity!"
The many Great Scholars who had rushed to the pavilion were incredibly envious when they saw this.
The First Realm of the Confucian Dao, Nourishing the Body, requires a great deal of Literary Qi to be accumulated. But besides accumulation, it must also be tempered, which is extrely difficult. The further one progresses, the harder it is to temper.
Having read so many books in the collection, Chen Ke’s Literary Qi had inevitably beco complex and impure, more than his body could bear.
Now, the Profound Bird was using its Divine Fla to temper and solidify his Literary Qi, building his foundation. How could this be anything but a great Opportunity?
Chen Ke felt a profound and tyrannical Fla Spiritual Power enter his body, steaming the Literary Qi in his Qi Sea. His Realm instantly soared from the Beginner level of the Gentleman Realm to its peak.
His Literary Qi was continuously condensed and tempered by the Divine Fla, gradually turning into the eye of a spring.
A Spring of Literary Energy.
It condensed all the Literary Qi bestowed by the Celestial Dao, becoming like a true Spiritual Spring, allowing his thoughts to flow like a fountain. This ant that the Literary Qi he obtained upon entering the Confucian Dao was as vast as the sea—sothing no other Confucian Cultivator in the Qi Nourishing Realm could compare to.
A typical Confucian Cultivator in the First Realm doesn’t have much power. If their Literary Qi is depleted, they are no different from an ordinary person, powerless and at the rcy of others.
But a Confucian Cultivator like Chen Ke, whose Qi Sea has given birth to a literary spring, has no such fear. With the spring constantly producing Literary Qi, he surpasses ninety-nine percent of all other Confucian Cultivators.
Furthermore, he could feel the Vast Righteous Qi in his chest welling up endlessly.
The Gentleman Realm is the Seventh Realm of the Confucian Dao.
This Realm symbolizes the peak of a Confucian Cultivator’s Spiritual Power cultivation. With a persuasive tongue, they can control external objects, use the Void Imperial Brush, and even influence the consciousness and values of others. They are masters of debate, leaving others speechless with their words.
So, one must understand one thing: unlike Martial Artists and Qi Cultivators, who use their Flesh Body’s strength, Magic, and Divine Techniques to fight Demon Beasts and suppress evil, a Confucian Cultivator uses their own Vast Righteous Qi to channel celestial phenona and execute those who defy the Great Dao.
Just as the dignitaries outside the pavilion watched Chen Ke formally enter the Confucian Dao, several figures descended from the sky, each accompanied by grand phenona.
The Golden Divine Lotus, in particular, was like a sun, its light shining upon all living things, offering salvation to all souls.
For a mont, waves of energy surged through the great hall. Many of the officials stared blankly at the scene.
They did not know who had arrived.
Ren Tu, one of the Four Great Tributors of Great Yan, stood guard before the Imperial Palace, calm and composed.
Since the National Fortune had reacted, it ant this wasn’t an invasion by Demon Fiends or the Evil Dao, but soone from within Great Yan. The fact that they could enter the Imperial Palace ant they had been granted passage by the Cultivators of the Imperial Capital’s Three Academies and had the approval of the Cabinet.
"Hahaha! ’Bring great shelter to all the poor scholars of the world, that every face may be happy’! Let see who has such magnificent spirit!"
A figure stepped out from amidst the phenona, his hearty laughter preceding him.
A thin, elderly man in a long, dark blue gown appeared in the great hall, drawing everyone’s attention.
Many people found him rather familiar, especially his free-spirited and jovial aura.
Suddenly, one of them rembered.
"That’s... Liang Wengong!"
"Wengong has co!"
A Cabinet Minister, his face filled with shock as if seeing his idol, rushed forward to bow despite being a high-ranking second-grade official.
"This student greets Elder Liang!"
At these words, the entrance imdiately burst into a commotion.
"Liang Wengong, could it be Liang Boyan, of the line ’Like a lone goose over Ten Thousand Ridges Mountain’?"
"That’s the Great Scholar from Xiangnan Academy! The late emperor personally granted him the title of Duke."
"Greetings, Teacher!"
One by one, officials quickly ca forward to offer their greetings, hoping to beco a familiar face to him.
Who didn’t know of Liang Boyan, the Great Scholar of Xiangnan Academy? Xiangnan Academy could be called the most formidable academy in Great Yan. The prefectures of Xiangnan and Yuzhang produced the most Advanced Scholars each year, accounting for a third of all successful candidates in Great Yan, and Xiangnan Academy’s contribution was indispensable. Many of the officials in this very Imperial Court were his forr students.
Chen Ke, seeing this kind-looking old man from within Wenyuan Pavilion, was both surprised and puzzled.
He realized with a start that he had no idea when so many people had gathered outside.
He was surprised because these Great Scholars were incredibly elusive. One was lucky to catch a glimpse of them only when they lectured at an Academy. And most of the ti, these Great Scholars wouldn’t even lecture personally, but would instead handpick malleable disciples.
’And now, I’m actually seeing a world-famous Great Scholar right at my door?’
’Is this real?’
Chen Ke felt like he was in a dream; none of it seed real.
’This is so strange. What would a dignified Great Scholar be doing here? Could it be... that I drew them here?’ he wondered.
Seeing how warmly he was being welcod, Liang Boyan stroked his beard and smiled.
"I’m not the only one who has co today. This old man is rely accompanying others. And there is one among them whose spotlight even I cannot steal."
Hearing Liang Wengong’s humble words, the officials of the Court all looked up at the sky with curiosity.
...
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