Chapter 1175: Wang Tianwen's Sudden Enlightenment

After a short while, they appeared inside Huguan City. The streets were filled with a large group of Confucian scholars, most of whom were cultivators, all dressed in uniform red scholarly robes. They walked in groups, each holding a bundle of lit sandalwood incense, their expressions respectful. A Core Formation cultivator led the group, and his expression was solemn.

"Tianwen, what's going on?" Wang Qingshan asked with a hint of curiosity. If he wasn't mistaken, it seemed to be some kind of sacrificial ceremony.

"Seventh Uncle-Grandfather," Tianwen replied, "today is Confucius's birthday. From the Emperor down to the common people, everyone must pay their respects. This is a very important festival in the Great Yan Dynasty."

"Confucius's birthday? Interesting," Wang Qingshan mused. "Let's find a place to stay first."

They found an inn and settled in.

Wang Tianwen changed into a set of red scholarly robes and held a bundle of lit sandalwood incense in his hand. "Seventh Uncle-Grandfather," he said, "since it's Confucius's birthday today, I must participate. I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you."

Wang Tianwen looked very apologetic.

Wang Qingshan waved his hand and smiled. "No worries, you go about your business. It's not too late for us to leave after you're done. There's no rush for a few days."

Wang Tianwen walked out of the inn, holding a bundle of lit sandalwood incense. Several Confucian scholars in red robes followed behind him.

"Only our Confucius, his virtue Heaven-bestowed, filling the universe; his virtue brighter than the sun and moon; a teacher to hundreds of kings, surpassing all other sages. If one can honor his virtue, then teaching will naturally rectify one's nature and destiny..."

As Wang Tianwen walked through the streets, he recited a sacrificial text, and the Confucian scholars behind him chanted along. The air was filled with the strong scent of sandalwood, and rhythmic chanting could be heard.

"Seventh Uncle," Wang Qiuming remarked, "the Confucian cultivation path in the Central Plains is quite interesting."

"Let's observe more," Wang Qingshan replied, "consider it an eye-opener. Perhaps there's something we can learn from."

Wang Qingshan and Wang Qiuming followed behind Wang Tianwen's procession. More and more red-robed Confucian scholars joined Wang Tianwen's group, all reciting sacrificial texts, mainly praising Confucius. The processions wandered through the streets without any apparent pattern, their numbers steadily growing. After a short while, dozens of processions converged on a large square spanning over a hundred mu. The number of cultivators reached over a thousand, including men, women, young, and old. All dressed in uniform red scholarly robes, it was a magnificent sight.

In the center of the square stood a statue of Confucius, over thirty zhang tall. Confucius held an ancient scroll in his right hand, with a benevolent expression, gazing into the distance, as if giving a lecture.

Beside the statue of Confucius were three circular raised platforms. Two men and one woman, three Nascent Soul cultivators, sat on these platforms respectively. They were all dressed in red scholarly robes, their expressions solemn.

Not far away, a red offering table, about a zhang long, held an assortment of spiritual fruits. Next to it was a massive red incense burner, filled with numerous sandalwood incense sticks. Among them were three ten-zhang long golden sandalwood incense sticks, emitting an unusual fragrance. Wang Qingshan caught a whiff of it and felt his spirit refreshed and invigorated.

"Third-tier spiritual incense!" Wang Qingshan was slightly surprised. With Nascent Soul cultivators present, it surely wasn't just a simple sacrificial ceremony.

Thousands of Confucian scholars stood gathered around the Confucius statue. They stood in neat formation, their gazes filled with reverence. Judging by their demeanor, they were not first-time participants in Confucius's birthday celebration and seemed quite practiced.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators stood up and bowed respectfully to the Confucius statue. A middle-aged man with a dignified demeanor then spoke: "In the 700th year of Xuande in the Great Yan Dynasty, we respectfully gather to celebrate the 78,345th birthday of our revered teacher, Confucius. With incense, flowers, wine, fruits, ceremonial dances, and elegant music, we offer our deepest respects to the Master and the spirits of all sages and oaths. Whence came Heaven and Earth? How did humanity arise? Harmony begets all life; sameness brings no continuation..."

After reciting the sacrificial text, the three Nascent Soul cultivators led the Confucian scholars in bowing to Confucius. Everyone's expression was utterly devout.

After paying respects to Confucius, the middle-aged man's gaze slowly swept over the multitude of scholars, and he said in a deep voice, "Confucius said: 'In education, there are no distinctions.' As disciples of Confucius, we ought to uphold and promote this excellent tradition. I am skilled in landscape painting, and I will now speak to you about painting."

The middle-aged man began to speak about painting. On the surface, it was about painting, but in reality, it contained principles of the Dao. How much one could comprehend depended on the individual. The three Nascent Soul cultivators each lectured on different topics, such as painting, how to conduct oneself in the world, and artifact refining.

Wang Qingshan nodded secretly, thinking the Wang family could learn from this: regularly holding large festivals to strengthen their clan members' sense of belonging and cohesion, and having high-ranking cultivators give lectures.

The lectures lasted for a day. After the three Nascent Soul cultivators finished their lectures, it was time for the question-and-answer session, where they would answer cultivation-related questions for some cultivators or give advice on conduct.

As night fell, the sky darkened, but the square remained brightly lit. The lectures had concluded, but many Confucian scholars remained in the square. Having gained insights from the Nascent Soul cultivators' lectures, they stayed to further comprehend them. The northern part of the square was covered by a massive blue light barrier, protecting each Confucian scholar with a formation to prevent external interference.

Wang Tianwen sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes slightly closed. He had gained some insights from the three Nascent Soul cultivators' lectures and was now deeply comprehending them. The matter of gaining insight is profound and mysterious; it can take as short as a few hours or as long as several decades. Once, a Core Formation Confucian scholar, after listening to a Nascent Soul cultivator's lecture, gained an insight. Without consuming any spiritual artifacts, he meditated for fifty years, comprehended the true essence of the Dao, and advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. This incident was once widely celebrated as a remarkable tale.

Wang Qingshan and Wang Qiuming stayed near the square. They still had ample time, so they weren't worried about delays.

A month passed. People gradually stood up and left; some cultivators advanced from Foundation Establishment Stage Level 3 to Level 5, while others remained stagnant. Seven Core Formation cultivators were still seated in the square, having gained some insights, but it was unknown when they would awaken. Wang Qingshan himself had once entered a state of enlightenment for several months, so he couldn't determine when Wang Qiuming would awaken and temporarily remained nearby.

Wang Tianwen's eyes were slightly closed. He felt himself appear in a hazy, gray space. In the space, there was a blue wooden table, with brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone on it. He stood by the blue wooden table, a nostalgic look on his face, seemingly pondering something.

After an unknown period of time, Wang Tianwen suddenly picked up a brush and put it to paper. A lotus flower appeared on the paper, budding and blooming. Spiritual light flashed on his right hand. He made a grasping motion towards the paper in the air, and a shimmering, spiritual lotus flower suddenly appeared in his hand, with shifting, flowing radiance.

"I understand now," he murmured. "When first learning to paint, a mountain is a mountain, and water is water. The second stage is when a mountain is no longer a mountain, and water is no longer water. The highest stage is when a mountain is once again a mountain, and water is once again water."

He felt the hazy, gray space suddenly shatter, and he returned to reality.

"Core Formation Stage Level 3!" Wang Tianwen's face lit up with joy. He could clearly feel that his aura had become much stronger. He was previously at Core Formation Stage Level 2. The Nascent Soul cultivators' lectures had saved him several years of arduous cultivation, allowing him to advance to Core Formation Stage Level 3.

He stood up and bowed respectfully to the Confucius statue, saying, "Many thanks, Immortal Master Confucius."