Chapter 853: Aggressive and Overbearing

All three men had white hair and beards. Each wore a long Master Teacher robe that shimmered with light, and even before they landed, they exuded an astonishing aura.

“Seven-star Master Teacher…”

Seeing the shining emblems on their chests, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows rose.

These individuals were all seven-star Master Teachers. Although their specific ranks weren't clear, they clearly surpassed the typical level found within the Hongyuan Empire.

As the three landed, one elderly man among them smiled slightly and looked around. “Thank you all for waiting so long…”

His voice was not loud, yet it sounded as if it were right next to their ears, causing the previous hubbub to cease instantly.

“You’re too kind, Senior!”

“It’s our honor to receive guidance from you, Senior!”

The crowd below uniformly clasped their fists in respect.

Those meditating before the cliff face were mostly Half-Saints or Comprehending Saints. Even the Master Teachers among them were only low to mid-tier six-star. Compared to the three individuals before them, there was a significant gap. Not knowing their specific names, addressing them as 'Senior' was the proper etiquette for a junior.

The old man stroked his beard and introduced himself. “We are all cultivators; there's no need for formality. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Wu Ran. For many years, I've been responsible for various matters concerning the Pavilion of Conferred Saints. I am a Master Teacher from Qingzhu Empire. You may call me Master Wu!”

“Wu Ran? Could it be... the current head of the Pavilion of Conferred Saints?”

“You’ve heard of him?”

“Of course! Master Wu not only has a profound understanding of Master Kong's insights on Conferred Sainthood, but he is also the dean of Qingzhu Academy!”

“Qingzhu Academy? Are you referring to... the Master Teacher Academy in the Qingzhu First-Tier Empire?”

“Yes, among the forty-six first-tier empires under the Qinyuan Conferred Empire, there are only four academies in total... Although Qingzhu isn't ranked the highest, it's incomparable to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. As its dean, his knowledge and strength are beyond doubt!”

“In that case, attending his lecture is a huge gain for us…”

Upon hearing his introduction, the crowd below immediately broke into discussions, all showing signs of shock.

The Pavilion of Conferred Saints hosted lectures daily, but usually, they were given by ordinary members. Today, however, the esteemed head of the pavilion, a seven-star dean, had personally arrived, astonishing many.

Among the four great academies, Qingzhu Academy, though not ranked first, was certainly not last. As its dean, his strength and status were self-evident.

To have him personally explain Master Kong's insights was an immense honor.

“Beside me are Master Wang Liao and Master Sun Jin,” Master Wu said with a smile. “If any of you have questions, you may speak to them, and I will answer them based on their difficulty.”

“Wang Liao? I've heard of him! His ‘Treatise on Master Kong's Path to Enlightenment’ resonated across dozens of first-tier empires. It's said that this article allowed at least three hundred people to gain insight and break through their limitations. He's one of the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Qingzhu Empire!”

“I've also heard of Sun Jin. He's also one of the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Qingzhu Empire! His original method for Comprehending Saints to break through realms caused a sensation, emptying the streets. I once paid a high price for a copy; I never expected to meet him in person here…”

Upon hearing the two names introduced by Master Wu, the crowd below erupted in another uproar.

These two were not unknown figures; on the contrary, they were highly renowned.

But... Qingzhu Empire is half a month away from here by sacred beast. Why have they suddenly arrived?

After introducing himself, Master Wu looked around and began his lecture. “Since you all know each other, I won't waste any more words. Let me first explain the origin of Master Kong's insights!”

“As is well known, Master Kong's era was precisely when the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe occupied the continent and held dominance! At that time, humanity lived day-to-day, their lives precarious. Born into such an era, although Master Kong broke through to the Saint realm and became a Saint acknowledged by heaven and earth, he still worried for humanity and wished to contribute to its welfare... Therefore, while these insights convey the joy of breaking through to the Saint realm, they also contain complex emotions of concern for the nation and its people, and worry for the world, deeply integrated within them!”

“Concern for the nation and its people, worry for the world?” Zhang Xuan blinked.

Master Kong left this behind merely to remind future generations to cultivate cautiously and never be reckless. When did it acquire such sentiments...? This interpretation is a bit too broad, isn't it?

However, he suddenly understood upon reflection. These 'scholars' who specialized in research would usually complicate simple matters to display their erudition. In reality, even the original author, upon seeing such interpretations, would probably be utterly baffled.

Just like in his previous life, the great writer Lu Xun once wrote, “In my backyard, I can see two trees outside the wall; one is a date tree, and the other is also a date tree.”

Later generations offered various interpretations, claiming it fully demonstrated boredom, loneliness, and so on, with all sorts of literary flourishes and profound insights. Yet, in fact, it was just a grammatically flawed sentence.

Master Wu, standing before him, clearly had the potential to be such a 'scholar'.

“…Therefore, if you read these insights with such emotions, you will truly experience Master Kong's state of mind!”

Master Wu continued: “Like the phrase, ‘Eating coarse food and drinking water, bending my arm for a pillow, happiness is also found therein.’ This is a true depiction of humanity's miserable state under the oppression of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Translated, it means that even though one eats coarse grains, drinks cold water, and uses one's arm as a pillow, Master Kong strives for humanity, finding joy in his efforts and never feeling alone…”

His voice was clear as he explained the insights before them.

After listening for a while, Zhang Xuan's eyelids twitched.

It wasn't that the other party's explanation was wrong, but rather that when studying the insights, they elevated Master Kong to an almost worshipful status, failing to approach the essence of his work. This understanding, while not entirely wrong, was moving further and further away from Master Kong's true intent.

At first, he wondered how this fellow had even passed the seven-star Master Teacher examination, feeling it was completely undeserved. However, upon closer reflection, he understood.

Were experts in his previous life truly experts?

Weren't there many who seemed to have holes in their heads?

On the Master Teacher Continent, Master Kong's influence was simply too immense. Any Master Teacher would treat him as an idol, and this notion was deeply ingrained. Anything he left behind had to be studied in a profound and elevated manner to convince countless people.

Otherwise, it would be considered heretical and disrespectful to the way of Master Teachers.

He was different. With his unique abilities, he didn't blindly follow anything. Moreover, having transmigrated, he didn't hold such profound reverence for Master Kong. This was the so-called 'clarity of an outsider,' allowing him to see further and understand more clearly than others.

Boom!

As he was musing, a Comprehending Saint in front of him seemed to have gained some insight. His entire body rumbled, and he broke through on the spot.

Zhang Xuan blinked.

He had thought the other party's words were flights of fancy and would have no effect, but unexpectedly, someone actually broke through.

“I see, it's belief!”

A thought struck him, and he understood.

Perhaps Master Wu also knew that his explanation wasn't entirely correct, deviating somewhat from the true meaning. However, Master Teachers all held a worshipful and firm belief in Master Kong. By expanding upon this belief, perhaps one could break through their limitations.

The difference between the Saint realm and the Comprehending Saint realm was not just cultivation, but also state of mind!

No wonder this Pavilion of Conferred Saints, which seemed ridiculous to him, could still maintain the admiration of countless people.

“Excellent, someone has already broken through… Good, I will now explain the first difficult-to-understand sentence to everyone: ‘Still and without worry, agitated and chaotic in intent. Face it calmly, choose peace and serenity. Even without the power to advance, one can still break through…’ The meaning is simple: as long as your state of mind is stable, quiet, and without worry, even if your zhenqi is insufficient, you can still break through…”

Seeing someone break through, Master Wu stroked his beard contentedly and continued his explanation.

“This…” Zhang Xuan chuckled wryly.

The very sentence Master Kong left behind was flawed; it was one of the nine defects mentioned by the Library.

While state of mind is indeed important, it must also be compatible with one's strength to achieve unity of knowledge and action.

Only when the state of mind is perfected will zhenqi naturally circulate, achieving effortless action, and only then can one naturally break through.

In reality, Master Kong's intention with this sentence was to encourage future generations not to solely focus on zhenqi cultivation, but also to refine their state of mind. Yet, in the other party's explanation, it had become a secret method for breakthrough…

No wonder… despite there being nine errors, no one had noticed!

It wasn't that these people were too foolish, but rather that they considered Master Kong too great, thus misinterpreting his meaning.

As he was shaking his head, feeling that the other party's interpretation was not worth listening to, a faint voice rang out. He looked up to see Master Wu frowning and staring directly at him. Everyone else was listening attentively, but this person was laughing, which made Master Wu quite displeased. Although a seven-star Master Teacher possessed a degree of tolerance, this was the sacred site of the Conferred Saint Platform, where no one was permitted to act irreverently. “My friend, is there something wrong with my explanation that makes you laugh so much?”

Unexpectedly, he had been spotted by the other party. Zhang Xuan, slightly embarrassed, scratched his head and clasped his fists. “I was just so enlightened by the profound insights that I couldn't help but laugh,” he said. “Please forgive my impropriety!”

Even if the other party was wrong, it had nothing to do with him. He didn't want to become the target of public criticism.

“Enlightened? Heh heh, you're just a little fellow at the Unity Realm; do you even understand?”

“Master Kong's insights are for Comprehending Saints, and you claim to be enlightened? Do you even know what he's talking about?”

“Enlightened, eh? Come on, break through for me and let me see…”

Hearing his words, many cultivators around them all burst into laughter.

These people were all Comprehending Saint experts, and none of them dared claim to fully understand. Yet you, a kid at the Unity Realm, claim to have heard profound insights... How boastful!

How thick-skinned can one be?

Seeing him speak this way, Master Wu also frowned. “Oh? Since you found profound insights, where exactly were they profound? Why don't you explain it and discuss it with everyone?”

“That… I wouldn't presume to show my meager skills!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands repeatedly.

“Are you implying that I am showing my meager skills here?” Master Wu's face darkened.

He hadn't expected him to interpret it that way. Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, “I… I didn't mean that! I meant my own level is low, and anything I said would only make me look foolish, so it's better if I don't speak…”

“You listened to my lecture, gained insight, and then say speaking would make you look foolish? Are you implying that my lecture… is worthless and makes me look foolish?” Master Wu scoffed.

“You misunderstood; I meant my own level is low…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“Low level, yet you can hear profound insights and couldn't help but laugh? Does that not imply my lecture's level is even lower?” Master Wu's eyebrows rose.