Chapter 252 - 251: Shock! The World Is in an Uproar
Chapter 252: Chapter 251: Shock! The World Is in an Uproar
’Yuan Shentong, the foremost prodigy of the Confucian Dao in the world, the spiritual leader of the academy’s younger generation, is actually farming here?’
As this thought crossed his mind, the Confucian Scholar thought of Jingzhe Gentleman again and couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.
’Jingzhe Gentleman really is brilliant.’ He had packed two meanings into one sentence. "Shentong, do you not recognize the Great Dao?" not only expressed dissatisfaction with Yuan Shentong’s path of cultivation, but also implied, "Are you not aware that the Great Dao of Confucianism has changed?"
Truly, his words were profound and subtle, exquisitely crafted.
The Confucian Scholar praised him inwardly, but on the surface, he barely maintained a respectful posture as he awaited Yuan Shentong’s reply.
"The Great Dao?" Yuan Shentong chuckled. "He is merely a forerunner. How can you call that the Great Dao?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone present was stunned.
But after the initial shock, they each fell into contemplative silence.
"My message has been delivered. I shall take my leave." The Confucian Scholar could no longer tolerate such a person who respected neither lord nor father, and with a flick of his sleeve, he departed.
The other Confucian Scholars did the same.
Yuan Shentong paid them no mind, walking over to the ridge between the fields and sitting down.
A moment later, a young child came running from the distance, his face alight with joy. "Brother Yuan, come and eat!"
A broad smile spread across Yuan Shentong’s face as he stood up. "Coming!"
The child, wearing a pair of wobbly split pants and straw sandals, looked up curiously. "Brother Yuan, a lot of people just came by!"
"That’s right, Ah Niu." Yuan Shentong smiled. "Those were all learned men!"
"I want to study too," Ah Niu said, his face full of anticipation. "If I study, does that mean I can wear nice clothes? And eat good food?"
"After you study, you can." Yuan Shentong’s expression was gentle. "You’ll be able to wear even better clothes and eat even better food!"
"Wow!" Ah Niu was filled with yearning. He hopped up and down excitedly. "Then, can Brother Yuan teach me how to study?"
Yuan Shentong laughed. "Of course! But I only teach the most diligent and hardworking students."
"Huh? But Mom and Dad say only smart people can study, right?"
Yuan Shentong shook his head. "It’s because there are too many smart people that you can’t eat or wear nice things right now."
"Also, if you study with me, you can get clothes and good food, but you can’t study with me *for* those things."
"Studying can lead to obtaining something" versus "studying for the sake of obtaining something"—at Ah Niu’s age, he couldn’t possibly understand the difference or the meaning behind those two phrases.
But that didn’t stop the little boy from dreaming about the future.
"Then what should I study for?" Ah Niu asked curiously.
"That’s up to you," Yuan Shentong said with a smile. "You can study for nice clothes, or for a full belly. That’s all fine. My standards only apply to me, not to you, Ah Niu."
Ah Niu nodded in a daze.
Seeing this, Yuan Shentong simply smiled and said no more.
’As for what kind of person Ah Niu would become in the future?’
’That had little to do with him. Everyone must take responsibility for their own choices.’
And the path Yuan Shentong had chosen lay here, on the land, among the common people.
However...
’A true scholar or a false master?’ Yuan Shentong gazed southwest, his eyes filled with anticipation.
...
Within the high mountains, inside the deep seas, above the vast skies, and beneath the very earth...
Yunjiang, Chujiang, Yanjiang, Minjiang, Wu Territory, Shujiang...
The world was in an uproar!
The New Confucian Dao!
Ever since the Heroic Dao rose to prominence several hundred years ago, no new Great Dao had been born.
But now, the Confucian Family had a new Dao, a development worthy of celebration for the entire Human Race.
However, with the world in chaos, the true common folk were living precarious lives, struggling to survive from one day to the next. They had no time to pay attention to such matters.
Most of those paying attention were figures like Gentlemen, Great Confucian Scholars, students, and officials.
At the same time, besides focusing on the new Dao, countless people also took notice of the person who had created it.
He wasn’t some powerhouse who had broken through the True Self Realm to reach the next level, but a young kid in the Second Realm.
The Second Realm?
In the eyes of many powerful experts, that was no different from an ant.
Forget the Fusion Realm or the True Self Realm; even a cultivator in the Great Realm could kill a whole swathe of them with a single slap.
The problem was, an existence like this had founded the New Confucian Dao.
Not only that, but it was said this young man had also caused the head of the world’s Guyu Officials and leader of the Shi Family, the True Monarch of the Lantern, to personally appear and summon the *Historical Record*.
A name recorded in history!
Throughout history, how many heroes have there been in this world?
Yet only a scant few have ever been able to leave their names in the *Historical Record*.
But Zhu Ge, with the body of a Second Realm cultivator, had earned a place in the *Historical Record*—and a substantial entry at that.
Forget the Second Realm; most existences in the Fusion Realm or True Self Realm would find it difficult to leave such a significant and detailed mark in the *Historical Record*.
The thing was, after learning the details, many people felt it was perfectly reasonable.
After all, not only had he, at the Second Realm, schemed to kill an existence on the verge of breaking through to the Fusion Realm, but he had also created a Dao comparable to those of the ancient masters. This was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
Within many major powers, Zhu Ge’s rating had already surpassed that of a normal prodigy, reaching the level of the ancient masters.
"Master" level.
Today, there were only a dozen or so prodigies in the world acknowledged to be at the "Master" level.
Moreover, most of them had already reached great heights and were no longer within the scope of the Sheji Chart.
A prodigy is just a prodigy until they grow into a true powerhouse.
But talent on the level of the ancient masters was a different matter entirely.
That was the kind of talent one might see only once in a thousand years.
Beyond all that, there was an even more terrifying point... Zhu Ge was True Monarch Minmian’s big brother!
True Monarch Minmian’s killing power was peerless. Even the major sacred lands and aristocratic families feared him. He had even single-handedly pacified the Nanyue Mianhuang.
In terms of combat strength, no one in the True Self Realm—be they a Confucian Scholar, an Immortal Dao True Monarch, or a Martial Arts Dominator—could defeat True Monarch Minmian.
True Monarch Minmian personally provided a Protective Dao, the True Monarch of the Lantern personally recorded his history, plus the New Confucian Dao, his infallible strategies, and so on.
All this news sent the entire world into an uproar.
Shock, jealousy, envy, indifference... all sorts of emotions were stirred.
But one thing was unanimous: many of the major powers began to make their moves.
They sent their own prodigies and geniuses to Yunjiang to challenge him, treating Zhu Ge as a whetstone to sharpen their own.
For many of these major powers, whether their own disciples and juniors won or lost was irrelevant. Even if they just went out to see the world, it would be a good experience.
After all, anyone could guess how many geniuses and prodigies would gather around Zhu Ge.
In that kind of situation, winning or losing wasn’t what mattered most.
A victory would be great, of course, but even in defeat, as long as something was gained, it was a net positive for these major powers.
Some major powers didn’t send members of the younger generation.
Even many who weren’t affiliated with any power made their move.
Their goal wasn’t to challenge and fight, but to seek the Dao and become his disciple!
The Great Daos of the world are finite, but the people are countless.
Many people might possess an unparalleled, world-shaking talent for a certain path, but what if that path doesn’t exist in the world?
It’s like someone having a talent for raising dinosaurs, but what can they do when there are no dinosaurs left in the world?
There’s nothing to be done.
For example, Zhu Ge knew that among the thousands of common people toiling in the fields, there were probably quite a few who could have become expert coders and created fun video games.
Others might have been able to master driving a bus, their affinity for vehicles maxed out.
But this world has no video games and no motor vehicles.
Therefore, with the appearance of a new Confucian Dao, countless people were stirred to action.
’I can’t break through to the next realm, not because I’m not capable, but because this world doesn’t have a Dao that suits me!’
Right or wrong, this was what many people were thinking.
’Might as well give it a try!’
Become Zhu Ge’s disciple and cultivate the new Dao.
’What if I really do have the talent for this new Dao?’
And so, just three days after Zhu Ge’s departure, another person appeared on the road before him.
It was a middle-aged man with a resolute expression. His long, black beard reminded Zhu Ge of Guan Yu, but his eyes were gentle yet firm.
"This humble one is Cao Zhi. I wish to take you as my master and ask about our Confucian Dao!"
The middle-aged man named Cao Zhi bowed respectfully with clasped hands.
Hearing this name, Zhu Ge’s eyelid twitched subconsciously.
The carriage also came to a stop, and Liu Jianjian and the others looked on with great curiosity.
’Someone wants to become his disciple?’
But from behind Zhu Ge, True Monarch Minmian laughed and said:
"You’re already in the Fusion Realm and you still want a master? Have you no shame, kid?"