In his opinion, King Zhou might actually succeed this time; if King Zhou could truly achieve sainthood, then this world would become very lively.
As he finished his thoughts, he greeted King Zhou and Houtu Goddess, and with a flick of his sleeve, he vanished from the imperial palace.
"No need to thank me; helping you is also to repay the Witch Clan's kindness."
"Today, I will take the Nine Great Divine Souls, and later I will choose an appropriate time to send them into the Six Paths of Reincarnation," Houtu Goddess said.
Like the Grandmaster of Heaven, she also knew that this was King Zhou's method of achieving sainthood.
However, she was also skeptical about whether Divine Soul division could lead to sainthood.
But then, recalling the strength of King Zhou's Divine Soul after the division, she felt that King Zhou might indeed succeed.
The Grandmaster of Heaven had already left, and she had no intention of staying there either.
Lost in thought, she took the Nine Great Divine Souls and likewise vanished from the imperial palace.
King Zhou watched the two leave without much to say; he kept their kindness in his heart.
Although the pain of Divine Soul division was bearable, it had caused him considerable damage, and he needed some time to recover.
.....
Years passed swiftly; within the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Houtu Goddess had been guarding the Reincarnation passage.
The Nine Great Divine Souls, enveloped by the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, hovered around her.
In her perception and estimation, today was the best time for the Nine Great Divine Souls to enter Reincarnation.
Thus, she had been waiting by the Reincarnation passage, anticipating the arrival of that optimal moment.
Having controlled the Six Paths of Reincarnation for a long time, she had gained a deep understanding of it, knowing the critical importance of this timing for the Nine Great Divine Souls.
Just as she was pondering, her eyes, fixed on the Reincarnation passage, suddenly lit up.
Now was the best time for the Nine Great Divine Souls!
She almost without hesitation extended her arm immediately.
Protected by the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the Nine Great Divine Souls had already merged into the Reincarnation passage.
Watching the Nine Great Divine Souls gradually disappear, she, who had been tense, finally let out a sigh of relief.
She had done everything she could for King Zhou; after today, the subsequent experiences of King Zhou's fragmented souls would be up to King Zhou himself.
Chapter 287: The First Life Awakens, Cultivation Restored!
The capital of Lu, the Kong Residence.
At the age of twenty, Confucius, who should have been undergoing the capping ceremony performed by his relatives, stood in the courtyard dressed in mourning robes.
He wore mourning robes because today was the anniversary of his mother's death from illness.
His father, originally the foremost warrior of Lu, had passed away when he was three, and his mother had died from illness three years ago.
With both parents gone, he was alone in the residence; there were no relatives to perform his capping ceremony.
However, at this moment, his expression showed no grief; instead, it held a hint of uncertainty.
His facial expression constantly shifted, from doubt to hesitation, from hesitation to astonishment, and then from astonishment to relief.
The reason for such emotional changes was that he had understood his true identity.
He was both Confucius and King Zhou, the Human Emperor of Great Shang.
As one of the Nine Great Divine Souls reincarnated, he had awakened his past life memories on his twentieth birthday today.
This was a method he had left for himself as one of the Nine Great Divine Souls, but he had never expected that the reincarnated identity of the Divine Soul would be Confucius.
It seemed that Houtu Goddess had provided him with considerable convenience during the Reincarnation process, allowing him to be reincarnated as such an important figure.
Of course, he was originally the Human Emperor, with immeasurable Human Clan Luck condensed upon him, so even as a fragmented soul, it was only natural for him to be reincarnated as a person of great Luck.
Awakening his past life memories did not mean that his twenty years of memories were gone; he naturally knew the current situation of the Human Clan.
The Human Clan was still prosperous, even comparable to Great Shang during his reign, and under the suppression of the Nine Heavenly Tablets, the Human Clan Luck showed no signs of weakening.
However, the Great Shang Dynasty no longer existed.
Although due to his involvement in the Investiture of the Gods, West Qi did not successfully establish the Western Zhou.
Yet, after several centuries of history, the Great Shang Dynasty also began to show the flaws of its late period.
The weakening of central authority, the strengthening of local forces accumulated over centuries, and the Great Shang Dynasty, which had continued for several more centuries, eventually faced the same situation as the Zhou Dynasty.
The Great Shang Dynasty fragmented, the Human Emperor of Great Shang became a mere figurehead, and various local forces established Marquis states, holding their own troops and seeking to annex each other's territories.
The fragmented Human Clan Marquis forces, each acting independently, all harbored the ambition of unifying the world.
The current world order of the Human Clan was no different from the Spring and Autumn Period in history, with numerous Marquis states.
He was not surprised by the eventual collapse of Great Shang and its becoming history.
The general trend of the world is that after a long period of unity, there must be division, and after a long period of division, there must be unity; dynastic changes are also normal, both accidental and inevitable.
With his involvement, it was already quite remarkable that the Great Shang Dynasty could extend its history by several centuries.
Without his control and intervention, the collapse of the Great Shang Dynasty would be the general trend of heaven and earth; unless a Saint intervened, who could stop it?
If he, possessing the strength of a Saint, continued to rule the Great Shang Dynasty, it could last for even a thousand years.
However, he had to obey the restrictions imposed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
He was now wondering if Dao Ancestor Hongjun's instruction for him to reside in Fire Cloud Cave, preventing him from coming to this world, also had this consideration?
Was the purpose to let the historical process and the general trend of heaven and earth proceed in the expected direction again?
He felt that his guess was most likely correct.
While sighing, he knew that this historical process could no longer be changed.
The most pressing matter now was to quickly improve his strength; only with sufficient strength could he truly control his own destiny.
The current Human Clan was similar to the early Spring and Autumn Period, with numerous Marquis states, over a hundred large and small.
To enhance their strength, the Marquis states constantly waged war against each other, fiercely competing for territory and development resources; Marquis state warfare and occasional annexation were common occurrences.
Almost identical to the original situation, among the more than a hundred Marquis states, several large Marquis states were the strongest.
Qi, Jin, Chu, Qin, and Song successively became hegemons, holding a transcendent status among the Spring and Autumn Marquis states.
But for him, this chaotic situation was not a bad thing; on the contrary, it was a good thing.
On one hand, a new Dynasty had not yet been formally established, and various ideas were constantly emerging.
On the other hand, the Marquis state wars would trigger ideological changes, which was an extremely important stage for the current Human Clan.
In terms of culture, the current cultural landscape also differed somewhat from the original history, but the differences were not significant.
During his reign, Great Shang had promoted the classics of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and the ideas of the Hundred Schools of Thought had spread among the Human Clan several centuries earlier.
Now, the Hundred Schools of Thought, after development, had produced a large number of great masters and representatives of their respective schools.
Moreover, the number of these great masters, due to the passage of time, was far greater than the historical figures.
However, the problem with the Hundred Schools of Thought was still the same as in previous history: the great masters and representatives of each school refused to acknowledge each other.
The numerous independent Marquis states became fertile ground for the Hundred Schools of Thought.
The representatives of each school believed that their own ideology was the most suitable for the national conditions.
In the context of numerous Marquis states, whichever Marquis state supported by a particular school of thought could unify the Human Clan seemed to prove the power of that school.
As the propagator of the Hundred Schools of Thought classics in this world, he naturally knew that each individual school of thought had its unique aspects.
But no single school of thought was sufficient to support the operation of a country.
To truly make a school of thought suitable for a nation, what was needed was for the various schools of the Hundred Schools of Thought to complement each other, each performing its own duties: Confucianism doing Confucianism's work, Legalism doing Legalism's work, Mohism doing Mohism's work.
It just so happened that he had been reincarnated as Confucius, and he could fully leverage this identity to act.
If he could integrate the Human Clan's ideologies in this era and become the head of the Hundred Schools, it would be enough to lead the Human Clan into a new spiritual realm.
After integrating the ideologies, he could even directly influence the structure of the Marquis states, and even achieve the reunification of the Human Clan without any problem.
Moreover, based on his previous experience, after ideological unification, the Human Clan Luck should have another opportunity to improve.
However, this world was ultimately different from the historical Spring and Autumn Period.
Firstly, the combat power level of each country was incomparably stronger than that of the original Spring and Autumn Period.
The reasons for all this were the widespread adoption of dragon tooth rice, as well as the use of Spirit Stones and the Five Great Secret Realm methods.
The soldiers under the various Marquis states all possessed considerable combat power, and even the representatives of the Hundred Schools of Thought had equally good strength.
If he wanted to integrate the Human Clan's ideologies in this era and become the head of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
Simply mastering the knowledge of the Hundred Schools of Thought would be completely insufficient to achieve this.
If he were to advocate for 'subduing with virtue' during this period, without strength, then he would likely not even be able to meet these great masters and representatives of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
In his view, during this period, 'subduing with virtue' should not merely be about reason (reason/truth), but even more so about means to subdue others.
Fortunately, he had recovered his original memories, and it was not difficult to improve his cultivation and strength.
He did not hesitate in the slightest; what he said, he did. To spread ideas, he still needed to travel to various countries.
Of course, traveling to various countries still requires some preparation.
However, the most important thing right now is to quickly improve his cultivation.
Because of his Reincarnation, his Divine Soul was strong, but he had no cultivation. To improve his cultivation, he could only start over.
Although cultivation needed to start from scratch, he still had insights and memories of every Realm, and Human Clan Luck also provided some assistance. The next stage of cultivation would surely be extremely smooth.
To be able to split his Divine Soul and reincarnate, the Cultivation Technique he used was Dugu Baitian's Nine Revolutions Against the Heavens.
So, this time, when choosing a Cultivation Technique, he also intended to practice the Nine Great Divine Skills from Dugu Baitian's cultivation method.
The Nine Great Divine Skills were powerful Cultivation Techniques that Dugu Baitian had created during his nine Reincarnations of the Nine Revolutions Against the Heavens.
Practicing them together could also accelerate his cultivation progress.
The Nine Great Divine Skills consist of nine divine skills, starting from the Demonic Heaven Skill and ending with the Heaven-Defying Skill. The Nine Great Divine Skills, when combined, become one, possessing unparalleled power.
After closing the Kong Residence, he immediately chose to enter seclusion and begin his cultivation.
Time flew by, and three years had passed.
Above the capital of Lu, the clear sky suddenly fluctuated, and the people in the capital subconsciously looked up.
Above the sky, thunder rumbled, and an unusual phenomenon appeared.
The entire sky was like a golden ocean, with myriad divine lights and colorful rays like rainbows. Golden waves surged, accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder.
The tsunami stretched endlessly, sounding like thunder, and the golden ocean covered the entire sky.
This was just the beginning. After the golden ocean calmed down, another unusual phenomenon appeared.
The sea and sky merged into one color, the sky was like a bright mirror, and green lotuses grew from the golden sea, their leaves covered in dew, full of vitality.
As a gentle breeze blew, the golden sea rippled, and green lotuses bloomed with vitality, giving everyone a feeling of creation and the emergence of chaotic energy.
The unusual phenomenon had not yet ended. The golden sea and green lotuses dissipated, and countless stars appeared in the daytime, even more dazzling than the sun. The stars grew larger and larger, like mountains.
After the three major unusual phenomena appeared, the sky returned to calmness.
The various experts within the capital of Lu had now recovered from their shock and wanted to find out who had caused the three major unusual phenomena in the sky.
However, no matter what methods they used or how they calculated, they could not deduce the source of the unusual phenomena.
At this moment, in the seclusion chamber of the Kong Residence, King Zhou, the instigator of all these unusual phenomena, pushed open the door of the seclusion chamber.
The three major unusual phenomena just now were all caused by him alone.
During these three years, he had been cultivating the Demonic Heaven Skill among the Nine Great Divine Skills, and his cultivation strength had already reached the Golden Immortal Realm.
The formation of those three major unusual phenomena was due to his profound foundation, which caused the Heaven and Earth unusual phenomena when he broke through to the Golden Immortal Realm in one go.
Fortunately, with the protection of Human Clan Luck, no one could discover that these unusual phenomena were caused by him.
However, for him, this was just the beginning. He was not only going to improve his cultivation, but also had more important things to do.
Chapter 288: Condensing the Radiance of All Sages!
Being able to reach the Golden Immortal Realm in three years was naturally because King Zhou himself was a Quasi-Saint, and also due to the effect of Human Clan Luck gathered on him.
However, if he wanted to restore to a higher Realm, it would take more time.
But after the Divine Soul Reincarnation, restoring cultivation was just the beginning.
What he needed to do was to perfect this Divine Soul of his, which could not be accomplished by merely restoring his cultivation.
To achieve Perfection of the Divine Soul, he needed to gather the Luck of an era.
This era was very important; it was an era of ideological change.
If he wanted to gather the Luck of this era, he needed to unify the thoughts of the Human Clan.
To unify the Human Clan's thoughts, he had to integrate the Hundred Schools of Thought, taking the best from each.
Now that his strength had reached the Golden Immortal Realm, the next step was to integrate the philosophies of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
Fortunately, this was not difficult for him. The classics of the Hundred Schools of Thought all came from the Hall of Sages, and he had personally compiled and disseminated them.
During the period of compilation and dissemination, he had already gained a very deep understanding of the thoughts of the various Sages in the Hall of Sages.
Moreover, the Hall of Sages, this All Heavens Treasures, also had the miraculous ability to enhance one's comprehension level.
Even at the beginning of the development of the Hundred Schools of Thought, he had been invited by a Great Shang high official to explain the "Book of Changes," the foremost of all classics, to Great Shang!
He had once presided over the Hall of Sages, condensed the thoughts of the Sages, comprehended the academic principles of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and integrating the essence of the Hundred Schools of Thought was not difficult.
In fact, when it came to understanding the Hundred Schools of Thought, there was no one in this world who could compare to him.
At this moment, his eyes were closed, and the essence of the Hundred Schools of Thought flashed continuously in his mind.
He stood motionless, but his mind was undergoing a frantic brainstorming session.
Confucianism's benevolence, self-restraint and returning to propriety, and teaching without discrimination.
Taoism's tranquility and non-action, and the doctrine of the mean.
Legalism's rule of law, Military Strategists' knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in every battle, and Mohism's universal love and non-aggression.
What he, with his eyes tightly shut, did not notice was that whenever an essence of the Hundred Schools of Thought flashed through his mind, the ethereal figures of Sages appeared around his body.
Mencius, Mozi, Han Fei, and many other illusory figures all appeared, surrounding him.
Every Saint and great master of the Hundred Schools of Thought appeared one by one, as if responding to his call.
When the last essential part of the Hundred Schools of Thought flashed through his mind, he finally opened his eyes and saw the Saint Shadows surrounding him.
Every Saint Shadow looked at King Zhou with a smile, watching the appearance of this figure who embodied the strengths of all schools.
Seeing the appearance of the Sages of the Hundred Schools, he bowed from the bottom of his heart.
These Sages of the Hundred Schools were the true contributors to the enlightenment of Human Clan thought, and they were entirely worthy of his bow.
After this bow, the Saint Shadows of those Hundred Schools seemed to gain sentience, and their faces all became solemn.
They also bowed in return, as if thanking King Zhou, and with their bowing motion, these figures also began to dissipate little by little.
King Zhou understood that the actions of the Sages of the Hundred Schools clearly meant that he had gained their recognition!
At the same time, in the True Lord Erlang's Residence in Guanjiang Estuary.
The treasure pavilion where the Hall of Sages was enshrined suddenly emitted a myriad of brilliant lights, and the treasure pavilion trembled continuously as the light was released.
In just an instant, Yang Jian, who was cultivating in the residence, appeared in the treasure pavilion.
With just one glance, he saw the source of the unusual phenomenon and tremor in the treasure pavilion: it was the Hall of Sages stored within.
The myriad of brilliant lights and tremors all originated from the Hall of Sages, this magical treasure.
He had originally thought that some petty villain was trying to seize the Hall of Sages stored here, but now it was clearly not the case.
Since King Zhou personally announced the Saint Court's Investiture of the Gods from within the Twelve Divine Celestial Demon Grand Formation, Yang Jian became one of the main gods of the Human Saint Court.
He was in charge of the waters of the Honghuang Land, serving as the Water God of the Human Saint Court!
After King Zhou was confined to Fire Cloud Cave, Yang Jian solidified his identity as the Human Clan's Guardian God, able to enjoy and mobilize Human Clan Luck.
Currently, with the aid of Human Clan Luck and the authority of the Holy Court, his cultivation had also rapidly improved, reaching the Golden Immortal Realm.
He also had some understanding of the Human Clan's development, knowing well what stage the Human Clan was currently in.
The Hall of Sages, this All Heavens Treasures, like the three sovereigns mirror and the Five Emperors Pagoda, were all closely related to Human Clan Luck.
Before King Zhou went to Fire Cloud Cave, he had handed the Hall of Sages to Yang Jian, essentially hoping that he could protect the Human Clan.
At this moment, seeing the Hall of Sages tremble, he was greatly shocked.
Since he received this item from King Zhou and guarded it to this day, several hundred years had passed, but when had the Hall of Sages ever reacted like this?
He subconsciously suspected that there was a problem with the Human Clan. Could it be that the Human Clan was experiencing turmoil?
Thinking of this, he immediately activated his Heavenly Eye to observe the mortal world.
The situation of numerous Lords of a State remained unchanged, with the only notable points being the annexation and destruction of a few small feudal states.
There was no news of any significant turmoil within the Human Clan's sphere of influence.
So, if it wasn't Human Clan turmoil, what was the reason for the Hall of Sages' tremor?
He knew that the Hall of Sages, this magical treasure, was related to Human Clan Luck.
The unusual movement of the Hall of Sages clearly indicated a major event concerning Human Clan Luck.
However, was the unusual movement of the Hall of Sages a good thing or a bad thing?
If it was a good thing, what was the reason? The Great Shang Dynasty was currently fragmented. Could it be a sign of reunification?
If it was a bad thing, what was the reason?
Could it be that the Saints who once supported West Qi had made a move?
He thought about it carefully, and it was very possible. The Great Shang Dynasty was now divided, and the Human Clan's situation was somewhat similar to that of the former Great Shang and West Qi.
Although the Saints who once supported West Qi could not come to this world, they could use some methods, and he felt that this was not impossible.
All in all, anything that could cause the Hall of Sages to tremble, whether good or bad, was no small matter.
After a brief consideration, he always believed that this matter was not simple, and it was likely of great importance. He quickly made a decision
He wanted to travel on the Honghuang Land, bringing the Hall of Sages with him, preferably to find out the reason for the Hall of Sages' unusual movements.
Since the Human Clan Conferring Gods, he had not traveled on the Honghuang Land for many years.
As the Water God of the Honghuang Land, he completely stopped interfering with the rule of dynasties, only managing the rivers and water conservancy in the Honghuang Land to benefit the common people.
King Zhou had once given instructions on this point, that the Great Shang Dynasty's operation should be left to its natural course and not be overly interfered with.
King Zhou's Holy Court Conferring Gods was for the gods of the Human Clan, not the gods of Great Shang.
As long as the Human Clan did not reach the brink of destruction, even if the Great Shang Dynasty collapsed, the gods of the Holy Court could not interfere.
Amidst his thoughts, he had already put the Hall of Sages into his possession, and his figure disappeared within the Treasure Pavilion.
On the other side, within the city of Lu.
King Zhou, nine feet tall, successfully entered the city after being checked by the city guards.
Behind him, two scholarly-looking robed men followed closely.
The two men were named Yan Hui and Min Sun, two Disciples he had taken in during his travels, who, impressed by his knowledge, chose to follow him on his journey.
After initially raising his cultivation to the Golden Immortal realm, he also condensed the radiance of the Sages.
He felt that his strength and knowledge were sufficiently prepared, and then began his journey across the world.
Today, it had been a week since he left the capital of Lu, and during this period, he had already visited two cities in Lu.
Through his knowledge and ability, he personally met with the great scholars in those two cities, including Confucian scholars and Legalist scholars.
Finally, after verbal debates, he successfully won against the great scholars in the two cities, and incidentally proclaimed his idea of integrating the strengths of all schools of thought.
This process was not entirely smooth; there were also academic families who lost in verbal arguments and wanted to regain their prestige in other ways.
However, he only needed to slightly display some of his strength, and those who did not know how to appreciate his kindness understood the principle of him conquering people with virtue.
While proclaiming his own ideas, some students and Disciples were naturally attracted by his thoughts and words.
Yan Hui and Min Sun, who followed him into the city, were among those attracted by him, willing to accompany him on his travels across the world.
In the two cities he had visited earlier, the academic achievements of the scholars were not very profound, and he won very easily.
However, in the city he arrived at today, he still had some expectations.
"Master, are you really going to debate with Great Scholar Cui?" Yan Hui asked, following closely behind him.
Although he had already acknowledged King Zhou as his teacher and recognized King Zhou's knowledge, he still had some doubts.
The name of Great Scholar Cui was extremely well-known even throughout Lu; although King Zhou's knowledge was extraordinary, could he truly be a match for Great Scholar Cui?
"Yes, Master, Senior Brother Yan is right, should we consider finding another opponent?" Min Sun also chimed in.
They didn't disbelieve King Zhou as their Master.
The reason for their persuasion was simply that Great Scholar Cui's reputation was too prominent, and they feared King Zhou might suffer a disadvantage.
Moreover, in their hearts, they also feared that King Zhou would fail the debate.
"Yan Hui, Min Sun, have you heard: 'The wise are not perplexed, the benevolent are not anxious, and the courageous are not afraid'?" King Zhou directly said.
He said this simply to make the two understand not to retreat in the face of difficulty.
But in his opinion, Great Scholar Cui was nothing; he would be no match for him in a debate.
He had long since mastered the Confucian principles explained in the Hall of Sages, and he felt that there was no possibility of his failure.
Yan Hui and Min Sun's eyes lit up, feeling that what King Zhou said was very reasonable.
The two who were originally somewhat worried, their eyes also changed from hesitant to firm.
Just as King Zhou's words implied, brave practice can lead to not fearing any difficulties; if King Zhou wasn't afraid of failure, what were they afraid of?
While Min Sun found it very reasonable, he also recorded what King Zhou had just said in a book for future review.
"Thank you, Master, for your words of wisdom!" The two bowed in gratitude.
At this moment, amidst their conversation, a spacious courtyard had already appeared before them.
Above it, a plaque bore the characters "Cui Residence," which was precisely the residence of Great Scholar Cui, the destination of King Zhou's journey!
Chapter 289: Sage's Three Corpses Enter the Human World!
Beyond the Thirty-Third Heaven, this was the dojo specifically opened by the two Sages of Western Religion after the Investiture of the Gods.
Since the defeat of West Qi, supported by Western Religion, after the Investiture of the Gods several centuries ago, Western Religion had entered a period of seclusion.
The Disciples of Western Religion began to stay indoors, with no one daring to continue traveling in the Honghuang Heaven and Earth.
From that time, the two Sages of Western Religion, Zhunti and Jieyin, had already retreated beyond the Thirty-Third Heaven.
Of course, these two Sages also left behind arrangements; in the Lingshan Holy Land, one of the Sage's Three Corpses of the two Sages still presided.
However, during this period, even the direct Disciples of the Sages, Ksitigarbha and Maitreya, sought an audience but could not meet the Sage's Three Corpses.
When the Great Shang Dynasty collapsed with a roar, Ksitigarbha and Maitreya had sought an audience, believing it might be an opportunity for their Western Religion.
But at that time, the two Sages showed no indication, and Ksitigarbha and Maitreya could only give up.
Now that Great Shang had vanished like smoke, the Human Clan was fragmented, and Lords of a State stood in great numbers, Ksitigarbha and Maitreya once again saw hope.
However, Ksitigarbha and Maitreya had waited for a long time, and the two Sages still showed no reaction.
At this moment, the two Sages, Jieyin and Zhunti, were seated on lotus platforms.
The two Sages had solemn expressions, covered in a radiant glow, with their eyes tightly closed and unmoving, as if they had sat there for countless years.
The next moment, Jieyin Daoist's eyelids twitched, and then both his eyes opened, a cyan light almost piercing through the Jieyin Hall.
Perhaps sensing his movement, Zhunti Daoist, who had maintained his posture, followed closely and opened his eyes with him.
Since the end of the Investiture of the Gods, these two Sages had immersed themselves in the Jieyin Hall, secluding themselves to deduce heavenly secrets, without any extra movement for several centuries.
"Junior Brother Zhunti, did you feel it?" Jieyin Daoist asked.
As he spoke, his facial expression was excited, as if something joyful had happened to him.
For nearly a century, he had almost merged with the Heavenly Dao, exerting all his strength to perceive the changes in heavenly secrets.
He paid attention to the Peak prosperity of Great Shang, and he also understood when Great Shang crumbled and Ksitigarbha and Maitreya personally sought an audience with him.
It was just that he had never felt the enlightenment of heavenly secrets, but just now, he finally perceived a slight change within the Heavenly Dao.
"Senior Brother Jieyin's perception is not wrong; the opportunity for our Western Religion's great prosperity is finally about to appear!" Zhunti Daoist also said.
During this time, he and Senior Brother Jieyin Daoist had exerted all their efforts to perceive heavenly secrets, and finally discovered the change.
However, unlike Jieyin Daoist, he had suffered quite severe backlash and injuries during the Investiture of the Gods due to the Human Clan Luck mobilized by King Zhou.
During this period, he was not only perceiving heavenly secrets but also recuperating from his injuries.
This was also the reason why he was a few minutes late in sensing the change in heavenly secrets just now.
Although the time of perception was a few minutes late, he knew that the enlightenment of heavenly secrets was absolutely correct, and the opportunity for their Western Religion's great prosperity had finally arrived.
Upon receiving a positive reply, the two exchanged glances, both feeling the surprise in each other's eyes.
After waiting for so long, they finally encountered a second opportunity to greatly prosper Western Religion.
The last heavenly enlightenment was to support West Qi, and their Western Religion would benefit from it.
However, due to the appearance of King Zhou, the heavenly enlightenment was ultimately altered, and they did not succeed.
This time, they obtained a new enlightenment, and since King Zhou was in Fire Cloud Cave and could not enter the Honghuang Heaven and Earth, they both felt that this time, Western Religion's great prosperity was a sure thing!
The two continued to deduce, relying on the heavenly enlightenment, and as the deduction progressed, their expressions began to become somewhat strange.
"I should have expected it long ago; the opportunity to greatly prosper Western Religion is still within the Human Clan," Jieyin Daoist sighed, his tone somewhat helpless.
Originally, in his deduction, the collapse of the Great Shang Dynasty this time, the Human Clan, as the protagonist of Heaven and Earth, was very likely to come to an end, just like the Witch Clan before.
And the opportunity for their Western Religion's great prosperity lay with the next protagonist of Heaven and Earth.
But what he had not expected was that after the deduction, he found that the opportunity for Western Religion's great prosperity was still within the Human Clan.
This implied that the Human Clan, as the protagonist of Heaven and Earth, had not yet reached the time of its demise.
Moreover, the fact that the opportunity for their Western Religion's great prosperity was within the Human Clan also indicated that the Human Clan would still maintain its status as the protagonist of Heaven and Earth in the future.
Originally, his participation in the Investiture of the Gods was initially to scheme for the Disciples of Western Religion to seize some divine authority in the Heavenly Court.
But after discovering the flourishing Human Clan Luck, he also wanted Western Religion to use this to plan for a prosperous fortune.
After the Investiture of the Gods ended, he felt that the flourishing signs of the Human Clan Luck were merely a flash in the pan, but now it seemed that this Human Clan Luck was unaffected even by the collapse of the Dynasty.
To greatly prosper Western Religion, they could only act within the Human Clan.
"Indeed, with the collapse of the Great Shang Dynasty and the fragmentation of Human Clan forces, it is precisely our opportunity.
This time, without King Zhou's obstruction, our Western Religion is bound to greatly prosper," Zhunti Daoist declared with grand words.
When he perceived the fragmentation of the Great Shang Dynasty, he had once, like his Disciples, believed it was an opportunity.
However, the enlightenment of heavenly secrets had not arrived; now that it had, it indicated that Western Religion's great prosperity lay within this chaotic situation of numerous Lords of a State.
The opportunity had arrived; they both should carefully plan
Junior Brother Zhunti, I think it's time to announce that Western Religion is ending its seclusion, and Disciples like Ksitigarbha and Maitreya can now travel among the Human Clan!" said Jieyin Daoist.
He believed that although King Zhou could not directly enter the Honghuang Heaven and Earth, he still had to be prepared.
The prosperity of Western Religion depended on whether its doctrines could be smoothly accepted by the Human Clan.
To spread the doctrines of Western Religion, they also could not personally enter the Honghuang Heaven and Earth to preach; it was clearly most suitable to have their direct Disciples preach on their behalf.
The more people among the Human Clan who believed in the doctrines of Western Religion, the greater the benefit to their Western Religion's prosperity.
Moreover, their doctrines had an even greater advantage in times of turmoil.
The multitude of Lords of a State meant constant disputes, and in such a situation, spreading the doctrines of Western Religion would surely be very smooth, and the number of Human Clan members who could be absorbed into believing in Western Religion would certainly not be small.
At this moment, he was already imagining a scene where a large number of Human Clan members believed in Western Religion, and while Western Religion prospered, it could also share in the Human Clan Luck.
"Senior Brother Jieyin, just as you said, King Zhou should have been prepared for this matter long ago.
In my opinion, merely ending the seclusion and letting the Disciples travel among the Human Clan is far from enough; we need to make some other preparations," Zhunti Daoist replied.
He also felt that the current situation of the Human Clan was a rare opportunity.
Therefore, he believed that to spread the doctrines of Western Religion, they needed to be fully prepared.
Although they, as two Sages, could not directly enter the Honghuang Heaven and Earth, they could employ some other methods to do so.
They did not know the exact situation of the Human Clan, and it would be unwise to rashly send their Disciples to preach eastward; they could entirely enter the Human Clan first to observe the situation.
"Does Junior Brother mean to send our two Three Corpses to the Human Clan first?" Jieyin Daoist asked.
He and Zhunti Daoist were almost of one mind, instantly understanding Zhunti Daoist's thoughts.
To guard against King Zhou and other methods of the Human Clan, it was clearly most appropriate for their two Three Corpses to go to the Human Clan personally.
Sages were not allowed to enter the Honghuang Heaven and Earth, but the Three Corpses, having no Sage, could freely walk among the human world.
He felt that Zhunti Daoist's idea had great feasibility, and the Three Corpses were the best method.
"Indeed!" Zhunti Daoist responded.
However, the voice that answered Jieyin Daoist was a superposition of four voices.
Behind him, three figures stood, each with different appearances and builds.
Some had gentle smiles and were refined, some had fierce expressions and sinister eyes, and one figure resembled Zhunti Daoist.
These were precisely Zhunti Daoist's good corpse, evil corpse, and self corpse, the Three Corpses.
He directly used actions to inform Jieyin Daoist that the method he had thought of was indeed to let the Three Corpses go to the Human Clan first.
"Since that is the case, then we two will first confirm the situation, and then make further plans!" Jieyin Daoist replied.
Like Zhunti Daoist, his answering voice also became a superposition of four voices.
Behind him, the good corpse, evil corpse, and self corpse also appeared.
"There's no time to lose, let them act first!" Zhunti Daoist said.
As he spoke, the three figures of the Three Corpses behind him had already disappeared.
Jieyin Daoist was equally decisive; the moment Zhunti Daoist's Three Corpses disappeared, the figures behind him also vanished.
The six Three Corpses of their two Sages had all gone to the Nine Provinces of the Human Clan to confirm the timing for the Western Religion Disciples to preach eastward.
"Since the action has been decided, let's inform Ksitigarbha and Maitreya about this news; it's time for them to prepare," Jieyin Daoist said.
At this moment, he had stood up from the lotus platform, and the next moment, the two Western Religion Disciples, Ksitigarbha and Maitreya, appeared before them.
"Master, you have finally emerged from seclusion!" Ksitigarbha said.
They had not seen the two Sages for a long time, and seeing them again now naturally filled them with great joy.
The reappearance of the two Sages who had been in seclusion for so long—how could they not understand what this meant?
Perhaps, after a period of dormancy, it was time for Western Religion to reappear in the human world.
"Your Junior Uncle Zhunti and I have perceived the changes in the heavenly secrets; the opportunity for our religion's great prosperity has appeared, and you and Maitreya can prepare," Jieyin Daoist said.
Behind him, Zhunti Daoist also appeared.
"Senior Brother Jieyin and I will go ahead to the Human Clan to seek opportunities for you. When the time is ripe, that will be your moment to promote Western Religion!" Zhunti Daoist added.
Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha and Maitreya exchanged glances, their eyes filled with pleasant surprise.
With two Sages personally taking action to seek opportunities this time, the great prosperity of Western Religion was just around the corner!
Chapter 290: Traveling the States, Seventy-Two Disciples, Sage Aura!
In the city of Lu, within the Cui Residence.
Today was exceptionally lively; a young scholar named Confucius claimed to have mastered the Hundred Schools of Thought and wished to debate with Great Scholar Cui of the Cui Residence.
Coincidentally, there were other esteemed scholars visiting the Cui Residence today.
In addition to Great Scholar Cui, there was also Wang Scholar, the grand master of Legalism in Lu.
Initially, the people of the Cui Residence wanted to refuse Confucius's debate, but after Confucius displayed his abilities, they had no choice but to relay the message to Great Scholar Cui.
Upon learning of the situation, Great Scholar Cui initially wanted to wait until Wang Scholar had left before debating with Confucius.
But Wang Scholar, instead, became interested and wanted to join Great Scholar Cui in meeting this young man who didn't know his place.
With two great academic figures from Confucianism and Legalism, the residence already had many Disciples, and with the news of the debate spreading, many scholars and students gathered in the Cui Residence.
However, at this very moment, although the Cui Residence square was bustling with people, the atmosphere was exceptionally silent.
The crowd who came to watch this debate had eyes full of surprise, and even their discussions were cautious, fearing to break the silence.
The reason for this was entirely because the outcome of this debate, which in their eyes had no suspense, completely exceeded their expectations.
During the debate, Great Scholar Cui presented a topic using Confucian knowledge, and not only did Confucius answer fluently,
He ultimately used the ideas of Legalism to perfectly win the debate, and the principles he employed were so flawless that even Wang Scholar, the Legalist guest, could find no fault.
Confucius's victory perfectly demonstrated the truth of his claim to have mastered the Hundred Schools of Thought.
Not only did he master the Hundred Schools of Thought, but he could also put his learning into practice.
After Confucius won the debate against Great Scholar Cui, the debate did not end.
Wang Scholar, the Legalist who had originally come to the Cui Residence as a guest, volunteered to continue debating with Confucius, but ultimately ended in a crushing defeat.
In this second debate, Wang Scholar presented a topic using Legalist knowledge, and Confucius's performance was no less impressive than in the previous round.
Moreover, similar to the previous debate, Confucius actually used Confucian thought to defeat Wang Scholar.
This time, he perfectly won this debate, and the principles he employed were greatly admired even by Great Scholar Cui of the Cui Residence.
To break a Confucian debate topic with Legalist knowledge, and then a Legalist debate topic with Confucian knowledge.
Such repeated demonstrations fully showed how profound Confucius's scholarship was, truly deserving to be called a Fusion of the strengths of the Hundred Schools.
"Indeed, a heroic youth! I am not your equal, I concede!" Wang Scholar, after a long silence, chose to admit defeat voluntarily.
During this time, his heart had struggled for a long while.
Naturally, he felt somewhat embarrassed about losing a debate to a junior of twenty years.
However, considering that Great Scholar Cui, his peer, had also conceded, he felt that admitting defeat voluntarily was not shameful.
At this moment, he felt heartfelt admiration for King Zhou.
Putting everything else aside, just regarding his mastery of Legalist and Confucian knowledge, King Zhou's dedication to study was unknown how many times greater than theirs.
He found it hard to imagine how this young man, around twenty years old, had mastered so much knowledge.
Upon hearing Wang Scholar's voluntary concession, the surrounding scholars all erupted in commotion.
The previously silent crowd once again engaged in continuous discussion, all admiring King Zhou from the bottom of their hearts.
"This Confucius is truly formidable, winning consecutively against two masters of Legalist and Confucian thought!"
"Could it be true, as this person says, that the Hundred Schools of Thought each have their Essence (essence) but also their shortcomings?"
"In my opinion, this Confucius has the aura of a Literary Dao Saint!"
...
Words of praise, commendation, and disbelief burst forth.
"Ahem!" King Zhou deliberately cleared his throat.
The previously noisy Cui Residence square once again fell silent, everyone craning their necks, looking at King Zhou, awaiting his words.
"Each of the Hundred Schools of Thought has its strengths, but relying on a single school to support the operation of a state is far from enough.
Unifying the ideas of the Hundred Schools, allowing the knowledge of the Hundred Schools to operate within the functions of the state—Confucianism doing Confucian things, Legalism doing Legalist things, each performing its duties is the true path!
Both of you are profoundly learned individuals; do not confine your knowledge within a single school!" King Zhou said.
This had always been his idea; the viewpoints and thoughts of the Hundred Schools of Thought were all excellent, but the doctrine of a single school was entirely insufficient to support the operation of a state.
Only by fully utilizing the Hundred Schools of Thought could the state function normally.
This had always been his view, and it was the idea he wished to convey by traveling among the states.
Yan Hui and Min Sun, upon hearing King Zhou's words, looked utterly proud behind him
There were many scholars watching in the Cui Residence, but most of them were scholars associated with Great Scholar Cui and Wang Scholar. Their purpose in coming to watch the debate today was to see their Master make a fool of himself.
As a result, their Master not only didn't fail, but instead won two debates in a row, so they naturally shared in his glory.
Even they, originally, didn't have much confidence in this debate, after all, their opponent was a widely renowned Great Scholar.
As a result, their Master not only won, but won spectacularly.
As the two felt honored, they also became more firmly convinced of their Master's abilities.
As for those who were originally just watching the show, after hearing Confucius's words, they started discussing again.
Several of them glared at King Zhou with ill intent and hostility.
"In my opinion, Confucius's scholarship is extraordinary, yet he has no sense of propriety.
Don't forget that Great Scholar Cui and Wang Scholar have been famous in Lu for many years, so why are you lecturing Great Scholar Cui and Wang Scholar?" one of those people said.
He was Great Scholar Cui's eldest Disciple, and in his opinion, Confucius's debate win today was beyond question, but his final words lecturing Great Scholar Cui made him extremely uncomfortable.
King Zhou heard Great Scholar Cui's Disciple's words and did not immediately retort, but instead turned to look at his Disciples Yan Hui and Min Sun.
"Yan Hui, Min Sun, I once spoke to you two about the issue brought up by Great Scholar Cui's Disciple, didn't I?" King Zhou asked.
He disdained to answer Great Scholar Cui's Disciple's viewpoint himself; in his opinion, it was most appropriate for his Disciples to answer Great Scholar Cui's Disciple.
Everyone who heard King Zhou's words now turned their gaze to Yan Hui and Min Sun.
Yan Hui and Min Sun were both intelligent, and immediately understood the meaning in Confucius's words.
They had been taught by their Master, and he had previously spoken about this very topic.
"Master once said: 'In learning the Dao, there is precedence; in arts, there is specialization. Therefore, a Disciple is not necessarily inferior to his Master, nor is a Master necessarily more virtuous than his Disciple,'" Yan Hui said.
The reason he was willing to follow his Master on his travels throughout the various countries was that he was convinced by this very statement.
In his opinion, to be able to say such words, their Master was undoubtedly a true great scholar.
"Master also said: 'When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher. I select their good qualities and follow them, and their bad qualities I change in myself,'" Min Sun added.
This statement was spoken by their Master on the road, and in his opinion, it was very suitable for answering Great Scholar Cui's Disciple's words.
After Yan Hui and Min Sun answered, the Cui Residence Plaza became silent once more.
These two statements perfectly answered the Disciple's words of using seniority to suppress others.
"Confucius is truly a great Master; these two statements are excellent.
'In learning the Dao, there is precedence; in arts, there is specialization.' I highly approve of your view on the Hundred Schools of Thought. Today, all of you bear witness, I want to become your Disciple and learn the methods of the Hundred Schools of Thought!" Great Scholar Cui said.
Originally, having lost the debate, he already greatly admired Confucius.
But after hearing King Zhou's words, recorded by his two Disciples Yan Hui and Min Sun, he was completely convinced by Confucius's principles.
He believed that Confucius's appearance would definitely influence the ideological transformation of humanity, and that by following Confucius, he would certainly learn useful knowledge.
"Brother Cui is absolutely right. If you don't mind, I also wish to become a Disciple of Master Kong and learn!" Wang Scholar also said.
He and Great Scholar Cui had the same idea; it was just these two statements, plus the knowledge Confucius possessed.
He believed that Confucius already had the ability to establish a school of thought, and that by following Confucius, he could definitely learn principles that even the Legalist school could not teach.
The two's responses immediately sparked a discussion in the Cui Residence Plaza.
Confucius's two answers were shocking, but Great Scholar Cui and Wang Scholar's decision to become his Disciples shocked them even more.
These two were among the most prominent scholars in Lu, academic Masters of Confucianism and Legalism, and now they actually wanted to become Confucius's Disciples.
This Confucius truly had the appearance of a Literary Dao Saint!
.....
Time flew by; three years had passed since the debate at the Cui Residence.
King Zhou had traveled throughout Lu and entered the territory of Qi.
During these three years, Confucius's name had spread almost throughout the world; everyone knew that there was a young scholar who integrated the knowledge of the Hundred Schools of Thought and understood the principles of all things.
In these three years, he had done something sensational, which was to debate with the chief of Confucianism within Lu.
For an entire afternoon, the chief of Confucianism was utterly defeated and conceded, simultaneously announcing his recognition of Confucius's scholarship and the views of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
Since then, Confucius's reputation had greatly increased; those who had seen Confucius all said that Confucius showed signs of becoming a Literary Dao Saint.
And at this moment, King Zhou had already entered the capital of Qi, and the number of Disciples behind him had long since changed, expanding from the original two to seventy-two.
During his travels, he had taken on many more direct Disciples who were willing to follow him, as well as some registered Disciples.
For example, Great Scholar Cui and Wang Scholar, due to their age and inability to travel extensively, were recognized by him as registered Disciples and did not follow him.
In these three years, he had seventy-two direct Disciples and nearly three thousand registered Disciples.
The group, in a grand procession, had already entered the inn where they were staying.
Yan Hui, who was responsible for gathering information, now returned to the group of Disciples.
"Master, I have briefly learned that there are many academic Masters in the capital of Qi, and the most famous among them is Li Er, the chief of Daoism, who just happened to be passing through here!" Yan Hui said.
Hearing Yan Hui's words, King Zhou, who had originally been listless, his eyes lit up.
The name Li Er greatly surprised him; he hadn't expected to encounter him upon arriving in the capital of Qi today.
Others might not know who Li Er was, but he certainly did.
This Li Er of Daoism was also known as Laozi, and was precisely one of the Three Corpses of the Taiqing Saint.
With such a coincidental opportunity today, he certainly had to go and meet him and humbly ask for guidance.
Chapter 291: Discussing the Dao with Laozi, the Dao of Heaven!
Qi Capital, Literary Dao Plaza.
As one of the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, the academic schools within Qi were extremely prosperous; it was no exaggeration to call it a hundred schools contending.
And the ruler of Qi also deeply understood the role of great scholars, and every city had a debate plaza.
In the capital of Qi, the largest Literary Dao Plaza was even established, for figures from various academic schools to hold debates.
On this Literary Dao Plaza, there had even been the grand spectacle of the chiefs of several schools debating together.
And today, this Literary Dao Plaza became lively once again.
Circles of people surrounded the plaza's periphery, a sea of humanity, it was no exaggeration to say they were shoulder to shoulder.
Among the crowd, most were students wearing academic robes, including Disciples from all the Hundred Schools of Thought.
The reason for this grand spectacle was that two important figures were to hold a debate in this Literary Dao Plaza.
One was Confucius, who had risen to prominence in the past three years, hailed as having the appearance of a Literary Dao Saint, and mastering the knowledge of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
In these three years, he had won over the grand Masters of various academic schools, and even defeated the chief of the Confucian school.
The other was Laozi Li Er, the chief of Daoism, a figure renowned throughout humanity, hailed as the most profound scholar of all time.
Besides mastering Daoist thought, Laozi also delved into the knowledge of other Hundred Schools of Thought, and was called 'teacher' by many chiefs of other Hundred Schools of Thought.
One had achieved fame earlier, the other later, both were world-renowned great scholars, so a debate between them would naturally be very interesting to watch.
Within minutes of the news spreading, the periphery of the Literary Dao Plaza was packed with people.
Some wanted to see a debate between great scholars, some were simply watching the excitement, and others brought their children, hoping to absorb some literary aura.
Under such a large observing crowd, the guards in the capital of Qi had to appear to maintain order.
For the unprecedented grandeur of this debate, no guard dared to voice too many complaints.
The reason was simple: every official, big or small, recognized in Qi, as long as they had no urgent matters, all rushed here, wanting to witness the debate between the two figures.
At this moment, the noisy crowd suddenly quieted. On both sides of the Literary Dao Plaza, two figures were seen walking up the steps towards the plaza.
One was nine feet tall, with a magnificent appearance, and a young face exuding confidence—it was Confucius.
The other was a stooped old man, holding a whisk, with kind eyes and a benevolent face—it was Laozi Li Er.
The two bowed and took their seats. While smiling, neither spoke first.
King Zhou looked at the seemingly frail old man in front of him, without the slightest thought of underestimation.
This person in front of him was one of the Three Corpses of the Taiqing Saint; his strength and knowledge were not to be underestimated.
Originally, he only wanted to visit Laozi privately to discuss academic matters, but unexpectedly, Laozi informed him that if he wanted to discuss, he should come to the Literary Dao Plaza.
Upon receiving the news, he could only choose to hold the debate in the Literary Dao Plaza.
As for Laozi, he was currently observing Confucius, and looking at Confucius's appearance, he felt a subtle sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite place.
He had actually been paying attention to this young man, who had risen to prominence in the past three years, for some time.
He knew that what others said about the appearance of a Literary Dao Saint was not false; just by observing him, he could sense Confucius's extraordinary qualities.
The reason he wanted to hold the debate in the Literary Dao Plaza was because of the importance he placed on Confucius.
He actually quite approved of Confucius's idea of integrating the thoughts of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
"I know your idea; you want to unify the academic thoughts of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and I also agree with this point.
Today, I debate with you because I want to ask, how do you view the thoughts of my Daoist school?" Laozi asked