Cliff Academy was located in the Sichuan region.
As one of the four great academies under the Confucian Academy, Cliff Academy naturally enjoyed an extrely illustrious reputation.
However, compared to the other three great academies, Cliff Academy's atmosphere appeared more conservative and rule-abiding. Most of the scholars under its tutelage revered ancient customs and were enthusiastic about pursuing classical learning.
In other words, the scholars of Cliff Academy generally appeared more rigid, with relatively low acceptance of new things.
Especially after Xiao Mo founded the School of Mind and its reputation rose to prominence, Cliff Academy launched fierce attacks against it.
They even hoped that Xiao Mo would co to Cliff Academy for scholarly debate.
Because they were filled with complete confidence in their hearts, firmly believing they could make Xiao Mo retreat in disgrace and never again dare to promote the School of Mind.
So when Xiao Mo set foot in Cliff Academy, everyone in the academy was rubbing their hands together eagerly, as if Xiao Mo were prey they had long been waiting for.
Bai Ruxue even felt that those scholars looked at her Xiao Mo with eyes that faintly glowed with a greenish light.
These scholars from the Sichuan region always gave her a rather strange feeling.
The Cliff Academy scholar responsible for receiving Xiao Mo led him to the shore of a lake within the academy.
At this mont, over a thousand scholars were already sitting cross-legged on the grass by the lakeside, with many more scholars standing at a distance to watch.
Among these scholars, so had co from distant academies while others were newly admitted disciples of Cliff Academy, most coming just to join in the excitent.
Xiao Mo sat properly in a kneeling position on his cushion and said with a smile, "I wonder which brother would be willing to debate with first?"
"This old man will go first!" An Academy Headmaster from Cliff Academy responded and steadily sat down opposite Xiao Mo.
"Please," Xiao Mo made a gesture of invitation, indicating that his opponent should speak first and raise questions. Thus, this scholarly debate officially began.
This Academy Headmaster opened with full force from the start, his words sharp and incisive, as if he had accumulated a belly full of anger and wanted to overwhelm this heretical scholar with aggressive montum.
At the beginning of the debate, Xiao Mo and this Academy Headmaster indeed exchanged blows back and forth in intense confrontation.
However, soon this Academy Headmaster gradually showed signs of being overwheld. Faced with Xiao Mo's progressive, logically rigorous theoretical exposition, he montarily didn't know how to refute.
His responses began to beco stuttering, and finally he was left speechless. His face even turned pale, his Dao heart violently shaken, and he could only leave in dejection.
His confused eyes were filled with deep doubt about his own scholarship.
Imdiately after, the second debater took the stage.
And so it continued for five consecutive days and nights.
From ordinary teaching masters of Cliff Academy to Academy Administrators, then to the highly respected Academy Grand Libationers.
Xiao Mo defeated countless scholars who ca to challenge him.
Except for the Cliff Academy Dean himself who had not yet entered the fray, Xiao Mo had already competed with almost every teacher in the academy from top to bottom.
The reason the Cliff Academy Dean had not entered was not out of concern about the old bullying the young, after all, in the way of scholarship, those who achieve co first, and the depth of learning has no necessary connection with age.
The reason he remained silent was that he recognized the subtlety and maturity of Xiao Mo's "School of Mind" system.
He saw that the core thoughts Xiao Mo advocated, such as "learning for practical application" and "Unity of Knowledge and Action," were precisely a profound supplent and refinent to the flaws of traditional Neo-Confucianism. Thɪs chapter is updated by Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
He knew in his heart that even if he personally entered the fray, he would probably only end up hastily concluding.
Since that was the case, why should he humiliate himself?
"After today, the foundation of Xiao Mo's 'School of Mind' has almost been declared complete," said the Cliff Academy Dean from a distance, gazing at Xiao Mo's figure and sighing deeply to his personal disciple beside him.
"When he finishes this journey and returns to seclude himself to carefully organize all the insights gained from debates along the way, when he finally writes his treatise, I fear he will truly create an entirely new Confucian path."
Hearing their teacher give Xiao Mo such high praise, all the disciples were stunned with amazent.
Creating an entirely new Confucian path!
This ant their teacher had determined that Xiao Mo's "School of Mind" was definitely not a heterodox side path, but possessed extrely significant practical aning with extraordinary value, and might even allow Xiao Mo to beco a new Confucian Sage whose na would be recorded in history.
This title of "Sage" was not sothing the Confucian Academy could bestow, but referred to when Xiao Mo truly reached that step, he would trigger resonance with the Heavenly Dao of literary fortune between heaven and earth, thereby leaping to beco a cultivator of the Ascension realm.
"I wonder if there are any other brothers willing to step forward and debate with ?"
Xiao Mo slowly spoke. Though his voice was not loud, it reached everyone present extrely clearly, even seeming to carry so kind of power that went straight to everyone's heart but not a single person stepped forward again.
Just as the Cliff Academy Dean was preparing to publicly admit that Cliff Academy had conceded defeat.
A ssage-carrying flying sword broke through the air and shot precisely to his front.
The Cliff Academy Dean reached out to catch the flying sword, his heart couldn't help but skip slightly.
This flying sword was a magical artifact specifically used by the Confucian Academy to transmit extrely urgent intelligence.
He dared not delay and quickly retrieved the letter hidden within the sword's body.
His gaze swept over the black characters on that white paper, and the Cliff Academy Dean's heart suddenly sank.
He read and reread the letter's contents over and over, almost doubting whether he had misread the characters.
On the grass by the lakeside, seeing that indeed no one stepped forward to challenge anymore, Xiao Mo stood up and respectfully bowed to the Cliff Academy Dean floating in midair, "Dean, it seems your academy has no one else willing to debate with Xiao Mo. Xiao Mo will take his leave first and disturb your academy no longer."
"Nephew Xiao's scholarship is world-shocking, and this old man truly admires it. Your future prospects are limitless. This old man quietly awaits the day when nephew writes his treatise and becos famous throughout the world," the Cliff Academy Dean looked at Xiao Mo with complex expression and said calmly, "Nephew, please feel free to leave. However, please ask Miss Bai to stay temporarily."
"Hmm?" Hearing this, Xiao Mo turned his head in confusion to look at Bai Ruxue beside him.
Bai Ruxue was equally bewildered and shook her head in incomprehension.
Xiao Mo's gaze returned to the Dean and asked, "I wonder why the Dean wants Ruxue to stay here?"
The Cliff Academy Dean sighed deeply, raised the letter in his hand, and proclaid loudly with a voice infused with cultivation, "Academy Grand Libationer Fang Shan, leading seven Academy Administrators to North Sea to sign an agreent, unfortunately encountered North Sea demon race ambush and siege, and was tragically killed!
'Accompanying Saint' Ding Shen has personally led five hundred elite cultivators to North Sea for suppression and is currently in bloody battle with the North Sea demon race.
Academy Order: North Sea has rebelled, imdiately apprehend the Lord of North Sea, Bai Ruxue!"
As his words fell, the Cliff Academy Dean turned his gaze to Xiao Mo, saying with deep helplessness, "Nephew Xiao, this is why this old man must keep Miss Bai here."
"Absolutely impossible!" Hearing this, Bai Ruxue suddenly stepped forward, her voice turning cold, saying decisively, "There must be a conspiracy in this! My younger sister would never do such a thing!"
"This old man also doesn't know the reasons behind it, but the Academy's orders cannot be disobeyed. Please ask Miss Bai to stay temporarily."
"What if this young lady is unwilling to stay?"
"Then... this old man can only greatly offend you."
The Cliff Academy Dean slowly shook his head and said no more.
He lightly waved his sleeve, and in an instant, surging scholarly qi transford into countless chains flickering with faint light, like spirit snakes swiftly and incomparably winding toward Bai Ruxue to bind her.
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