Chapter 266: Strong enemy

The Qing of the Honglu Temple watched the battle below.

He almost lost control, nearly crushing the armrest of his chair.

This was extremely rare for a third-rank Official like him, even though he wasn't truly a third-rank Official.

His true Cultivation was that of a fourth-rank Human Dao Confucian Cultivator, while his official position was a third-rank Official.

But even so, situations that could make him lose his composure, to the point of almost losing control of his power, were extremely rare.

And now, that was precisely the case.

“Nineteen…” He counted silently.

Then.

“Twenty…!” He finally couldn't hold back, leaking an extremely subtle Aura, causing the tables and chairs around him to crack.

These tables and chairs were Spiritual Artifacts, quite valuable, but now they had all been shattered by the Aura he unconsciously leaked.

Not far away, that Young Master of Shaman God Mountain had consecutively defeated twenty people!

They were all well-known young Geniuses. One must know that those qualified to attend this banquet were all Geniuses from various departments, on whom great hopes were placed, and who had come to broaden their horizons.

But that Young Master of Shaman God Mountain…

His vast knowledge and eloquent discussions of principles were already impressive.

His unrestrained speech and astonishing remarks made people grit their teeth, yet his arguments were well-founded and shocking, causing waves of fear among those below.

Just as Li Qi said, when it came to reciting texts, he had never feared anyone.

As a third-rank Official, the Qing of the Honglu Temple had countless ways to refute Li Qi in his mind, but he could only watch the juniors below get beaten!

This made him even more infuriated.

Moreover, it wasn't as if no one capable of refuting him had appeared before.

However, he immediately took direct action, beating up the junior he saw and claiming that the other party only engaged in empty talk and didn't truly understand the principles they spoke of.

It was precisely this incident that caused the Qing of the Honglu Temple to completely lose his composure.

But he also felt an immense astonishment.

How was that possible?

He observed the other party's Spirit Soul age, which was only twenty or thirty years old. How could he have memorized tens of thousands of ancient texts? Every single word and phrase came from a classic, skillfully adapted and deeply understood. The crucial point was that he could also use corresponding spells.

For someone only twenty or thirty years old, even if he had been Cultivating since he was in his mother's womb, how could he have memorized so much? And understood it so profoundly?

Did he have thirty hours in a day?!

Did he not Cultivate anymore? Did he spend all his time memorizing and studying?!

This was not something that could be achieved by distorting time, but rather it was truly the amount of time spent, because even if time were distorted, age would still progress normally.

Even more terrifying was that the Qing of the Honglu Temple used a Divine Ability to observe the Cultivation path of this Young Master of Shaman God Mountain and found that he had only Cultivated for a little over three years.

A little over three years, rapidly reaching the eighth-rank, while being incredibly knowledgeable, having a solid foundation, and even being able to debate against a crowd and gain the upper hand.

How was that possible!?

Had the quality of Shaman God Mountain's personnel reached this level now?! Was this a naturally gifted Spiritual Child found in that mountain valley?

Wave after wave of shock ultimately led to this third-rank Official losing a bit of his composure.

This slight loss of composure did not escape the eyes of the Great Shaman opposite him.

The Great Shaman glanced over and deliberately let out a very clear, low chuckle.

This made the Qing of the Honglu Temple even more furious!

Juniors, no matter what, would not make him lose his composure, but the mockery of a Great Shaman of the same rank truly angered him.

However, after truly becoming angry, his expression calmed down, and even his gaze softened.

Anger never clouded his mind.

If one couldn't even control one's own thoughts, how could one Cultivate to this level?

However, he still had to find a way to deal with this.

Since the other party was a true Genius, then perhaps they would also have to find those Geniuses on their side who were worthy of great expectations to block him, otherwise, it would truly be a loss of face.

This was the face of the Tang Nation!

He took a light breath, and his Divine Sense moved.

Even the Great Shaman on the other side didn't notice that a secret message was transmitted from here into the Human Dao terminal, spread onto the Dragon Vein, and then relayed all the way to the Imperial Academy.

— — — — — — — —

At this moment, in the Imperial Academy.

In a study.

A man, appearing as a modest gentleman, suddenly looked up from a pile of books.

His appearance was ordinary, but his temperament was excellent. There seemed to be a subtle, righteous Qi swirling within him. Although his face was common, he gave people an extremely fresh and comfortable feeling, like a green bamboo.

Green bamboo wasn't as beautiful and dazzling as flowers, but it could make one feel a refreshing breeze.

He looked up towards the door, because someone had arrived outside.

However, he wasn't angry that his research had been interrupted, because he knew that someone coming to disturb him must have a reason.

Then, someone pushed the door open.

It was the gatekeeper.

“Lecturer Liu, there’s a message for you. It’s urgent and encrypted. Judging by the mark, it’s from a purple-robed Official. Please handle it quickly. I’ll leave the item here for now.” The gatekeeper said respectfully, then looked at ‘Lecturer Liu’ with admiration.

Because the other party was indeed worthy of admiration.

Some students of the Imperial Academy, although not yet graduated, already held official positions, which were internal positions within the Imperial Academy.

Within the Imperial Academy, there were mentors whose official title was Four Gates Doctor, a genuine seventh-rank. They were responsible for the etiquette of teaching, overseeing classes, conducting examinations, and selecting outstanding scholars, known as 'chosen scholars'.

In plain terms, they were like academic deans, responsible for supervising studies and exams, and evaluating the academic performance of Imperial Academy students.

The Four Gates Doctor had three assistant teachers, a genuine eighth-rank.

There were also four Lecturers, whose salaries and allowances were the same as those of regular Officials.

This Lecturer Liu, as a student, held the position of Lecturer.

The duties of a Lecturer were to assist the Doctor and assistant teachers, specializing in teaching classical studies. This meant that although he was a student, he actually taught other students.

What kind of quality and knowledge did Imperial Academy students possess? As a fellow student, yet able to teach them, what level must this Lecturer Liu be at?

That’s why the gatekeeper looked at him with such admiration.

In fact, most Imperial Academy students taking classical studies classes held respect for this Lecturer Liu, who was practically like a ‘Senior Brother’.

Resolute and brave, benevolent and charitable, exceptionally intelligent, broadly knowledgeable, thoughtful and discerning…

There were countless positive adjectives to describe him.

Some even said that every time someone thought of another good word, they understood Lecturer Liu a little more deeply.

The Imperial Academy’s Chancellor personally commented on his academic record: “Liu Junyi is broadly knowledgeable and proficient in everything, from astronomy and calendrical calculations to mountain passes and strategic points, collating classics and histories, and compiling various books, all at his fingertips. He deeply understands the successes and failures of governance throughout ancient and modern times and is well-versed in historical precedents. In classics, he comprehends the various schools since the Tang Dynasty; in history, he embraces multiple interpretive methods. The tasks of compilation and collation in all academies can be entirely entrusted to him.”

Such an outstanding talent, even in a place like the Imperial Academy where Geniuses gathered, could rank among the top ten.

The only pity was his ordinary Cultivation. Because he focused on various classical studies, he didn't have as much energy to improve his Cultivation, which led to him being in his forties now, nearing graduation, yet still remaining at the eighth-rank.

But the official positions of the Tang Nation were set up for such talents.

Even if you wholeheartedly studied and researched, without the time and effort to accumulate Cultivation, you could still directly advance to high ranks through official positions, without worrying about the issue of Lifespan.

Everything was arranged very appropriately.

Liu Junyi put down the classic text, picked up the terminal, and began to read the information on it.

“A message from the Honglu Temple…” he murmured.

The Honglu Temple invited him to a foreign banquet to debate with someone?

To be honest, he didn't particularly like arguing with people, but this was, after all, an invitation from a purple-robed Official, so it was hard to refuse.

Moreover, the message stated that this Young Master of Shaman God Mountain, who came from elsewhere, was broadly knowledgeable and rarely met his match. He was also very curious that such a person existed.

Hmm… If that's the case, then I'll go and see.

Liu Junyi put away his things, tidied his Confucian robe, and quietly left.

Without disturbing anyone.

Then, a clear breeze circled around him.

The serene breeze arrives, blowing the green robe.

The green robe is like spring grass, the grass grows long and the wind flows smoothly.

Clearly seeing the algae in the water, a green lotus emerges from the dust.

Carriages gallop on the long road, light boats float on the long river.

As the long wind blew, he also drifted with the wind.

After only a moment, on the river island of that great canal, a Confucian scholar in a green robe arrived gracefully, walking ordinarily along the path.

— — — — — — — — — —

At this moment, Li Qi was scolding his twenty-fifth opponent.

He shouted loudly: “The Sage said, ‘Internally, one governs the rites of the ancestral temple, sufficient to match the gods of Heaven and Earth; externally, one governs the rites of frank speech, sufficient to establish respect between superiors and inferiors.’ You speak of rites, yet you attempt to win with unconventional moves, which shows that you do not believe in rites. Your words and actions are inconsistent, you know but do not act, and yet you still presume to speak of rites? Retreat!”

With Li Qi's rebuke, another person retreated in shame.

The scene was silent; no one dared to stand up and challenge Li Qi for the time being.

Li Qi had been speaking and fighting simultaneously, sweeping through twenty-five opponents consecutively. Others no longer dared to easily step forward.

Losing face was a small matter, but the fear was that it would continue to bolster Li Qi's might.

A person's Qi naturally possesses its own imposing Aura. Li Qi's continuous victories against twenty-five people accumulated his winning momentum, making his Aura grand and imposing. He was clearly getting stronger with each battle. No one dared to easily challenge his sharp edge, fearing that they would only make his Aura grow even larger.

It was better to let Li Qi cool down and let his Aura diminish, then challenging him would be the right path.

But during this time, the people from Shaman God Mountain were all cheerful, while the food in front of others had grown cold. They, however, deliberately began to cut meat and eat, chatting and drinking wine.

Yan Ke and Zhong Minglou were still restrained, merely starting to eat.

Bo Yue, who feared no death, even ran to toast the Great Shaman, laughing loudly as if he had never been beaten.

But with Li Qi holding the front, they wouldn't be beaten.

However, just when Li Qi thought these people would stop, someone suddenly spoke to him.

“The rites, they regulate Heaven and Earth; they govern human relations. Their function in governance arises with Heaven and Earth. Therefore, in the twenty-sixth year of Duke Zhao, the Zuo Commentary states that Yan Zi said: ‘The rites have long been able to govern the state, coexisting with Heaven and Earth.’ Tracing their origin, Sui Huang first emerged grasping the celestial mechanism, holding the method of the Big Dipper’s rotation, pointing to Heaven to implement governance and teachings.”

“Rites are fundamentally the principles of Heaven and Earth. Why can an unconventional move not be considered a rite?”

Li Qi looked towards the source of the voice. A Confucian Cultivator in a green robe with a gentle demeanor had arrived from outside.

The green-robed Confucian scholar arrived and, picking up on Li Qi's previous topic, spoke thus.

Li Qi's heart tightened.

Even the people from Shaman God Mountain put down their food and looked at the newly arrived Confucian scholar. Great Shaman Mi also narrowed his eyes slightly.

On the other side.

Many Tang Nation people brightened up, and the Qing of the Honglu Temple's expression relaxed.

Some Confucian scholars whispered: “It’s Lecturer Liu.”

“It’s actually Lecturer Liu, why would he be here?”

“Who is Lecturer Liu? But he looks like he can hold his own?”

But some people didn't know him and quickly asked those beside them who Lecturer Liu was.

However, Liu Junyi ignored the whispers around him and continued forward, posing a question to Li Qi:

“Rites, the changes of Heaven and Earth, the origin of governance and teachings, from the beginning of the Human Emperors, after Sui Huang, through six epochs and ninety-one generations, until Fuxi first created the teaching of ten words, thus they were formed. Regardless of Fuxi or Sui Huang, both were Human Emperors, which shows that rites originated from the Human Emperor, from the Human Dao.”

“Since you are a Shaman, how dare you speak of rites to the Human Dao? What does the matter of rites have to do with a Shaman? Young Master, you mistakenly believe that rites are merely vulgar constraints, and even use this as a basis to refute others. Do you truly understand rites?”

Liu Junyi slowly walked forward, towards Li Qi's position, and asked Li Qi this question.

The scene was silent, everyone looking in their direction.

Li Qi frowned; the other party had hit the nail on the head.

If 'rites' were understood from this perspective, then what Li Qi had just said was purely fallacious and unconvincing.

At the same time, a ‘rule’ unfolded around them.

Li Qi felt it; an unnamed power formed a ‘ritual system’ that bound his limbs, making his movements difficult.

However…

It was very gentle, non-aggressive, merely a simple restraint.

It was like water.

If one merely soaked in it, there was almost no feeling, as if it didn't exist.

But if one wanted to accelerate movement, then the soft water would form immense resistance. An arrow that could easily break the sound barrier in air would be unable to move an inch in water.

Li Qi felt as if he was enveloped by water. As long as he followed the direction fixed by the ‘water’, his movements would be unimpeded. But if he wanted to go against the flow, it would be extremely difficult.

Feeling this restraint, Li Qi immediately became serious.

He knew this was the other party's understanding of rites, and the corresponding spell.

Therefore, Li Qi looked at the other party, his mind serious. After deliberation, he said: “Sir, from where do you say rites originate? The Sages said: ‘Humans are born with desires. If desires are not fulfilled, then one cannot be without demands. If demands have no measure or boundary, then one cannot but contend; contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution.’ The ancient kings abhorred this chaos, and thus established rites and righteousness to distinguish them, to nourish human desires and provide for human demands. This ensured that desires would not be exhausted by things, and things would not be suppressed by desires. The two would sustain each other and grow. This is the origin of rites.”

What Li Qi said was his understanding of the origin of rites.

Humans are born with desires. To satisfy desires, they will seek things from the outside world. If their demands are limitless and without standards, conflicts will arise.

Conflicts lead to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution. The ancient Sage Kings detested chaos, so they established rites and regulations to balance resources and desires, maintaining long-term harmonious development. This is the origin of rites.

“Rites are regulated by humans, created by the ancient Sage Kings. What connection do they have with natural principles? Does Sir believe that natural principles created the ritual system?” Li Qi retorted.

At this moment, the Confucian scholar immediately replied: “Why not? In ancient times, when things were simple, things were born with rites naturally. Hence, lambs kneel to nurse, wild geese fly in formation, and ants have military formations. Are these taught? It is that after the Three Powers were divided, rites naturally existed.”

Rites themselves are innate, which is why lambs kneel to nurse, wild geese arrange themselves, and ants can form military formations. These are all innate rites.

As the two debated, their respective spells also unfolded.

The small fry were gone; the tough guys had arrived.