"If you really wish to understand that in such a manner, there is nothing that I can do…"
Seeing that the other party was picking flaws with everything that he said, Zhang Xuan frowned. "We are all master teachers, and you have made your point. Since I have already admitted my mistake, surely you don't have to corner me like that!"
"Audacious!"
"How dare you speak to Wu shi like that?"
"Where did this arrogant brat come from?"
Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, a huge disturbance broke out amid the crowd.
Having listened to Wu shi's lecture, the group gathered in the area could be considered to be half-students of his. It was one thing that a Perfect Harmonization realm brat was refusing to listen to the preaching of their half-teacher humbly, but to utter such disrespectful words on top of that… Was he tired of living?
"I am only asking you to share your epiphany here, how am I cornering you here? Humph! To feign knowledge in the face of ignorance, is this the attitude befitting of a master teacher?" With a steely glint in his eyes, Wu shi took a step toward Zhang Xuan.
Hong long!
The immense pressure from the overwhelming might of a Saint 2-dan abruptly fell upon the surroundings as if a tsunami had crashed down upon the area, rendering those caught within it unable to breathe properly.
As one who had dedicated a significant portion of his life to studying the quintessence of Kong shi's insights, Wu shi carried special feelings for the Saint Ascension Platform. As such, he couldn't bear to see another disrespecting it.
But from the moment he began his lecture, that fellow had been putting on all kinds of peculiar expressions, even sneering at one point. It was then that his tolerance snapped.
To act so frivolously in the grounds where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood… If the other party was his student, he would have surely expelled him from his academy that very instant!
That was also why he had lowered himself to bickering with a 4-star master teacher despite being a 7-star master teacher himself. It wasn't out of pettiness but to send out a clear message that any form of disrespect toward Kong shi was intolerable!
Otherwise, if everyone started to act in such a manner, what would become of the Master Teacher Pavilion's dignity?
Feign knowledge in the face of ignorance? Driving his Heaven's Path zhenqi, the pressure weighing down on Zhang Xuan dissipated. Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan stared at Wu shi directly in the latter's eye and shook his head.
I only couldn't be bothered to point out your errors, but you managed to pin so many sins on me.
But as stifled as Zhang Xuan was within, he didn't feel like starting anything at this very moment, especially since he was here with Luo Ruoxin. Thus, he clasped his fist and said, "Yes, I apologize for my ignorance and breach of etiquette, and I hope to seek your understanding!"
In any case, he knew better than anyone whether he was ignorant or not. It was pointless to argue with another over this; it was not like he could help what the other party thought of him anyway.
However, if the other party wished to make an example out of him, he should know better than to push his luck further than this.
"To be spouting such arrogant words despite your ignorance, you sure are an embarrassment to master teachers!"
Harrumphing coldly, Wu shi placed his hands behind his back, and with the majestic disposition of a 7-star master teacher, he declared, "I do not wish for someone as presumptuous as you to remain on this Saint Ascension Platform. Take off your master teacher robe and leave the premises!"
"Take off my master teacher robe and leave the premises?" Zhang Xuan's face immediately darkened.
To be asked to strip one's master teacher robe and scram from the mountain was a huge humiliation.
If word of this matter were to spread, his path as a master teacher could very well come to an end at this point.
He had already given so many concessions, but the other party simply continued to try to corner him. Did the other party think that he was an easy target to bully just because he was young?
Even if you wish to send out a stern warning to others, you have already made your point. This is going beyond the limits!
Could it be that I have an extremely loathsome face and anyone who meets me just has to provoke me and teach me a lesson?
"That's right!" Wu shi glanced at Zhang Xuan coldly. "Reluctant? Don't make me do it personally; it won't end as simply as that if I have to get involved…"
Noticing the hostility in Wu shi eyes, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Wu shi, revealing his narrowed eyes. "I have already given you so many concessions, but you just want to stick your face in here, don't you? Your lecture is utter nonsense, filled with flaws everywhere, and it is only out of respect for you as a fellow master teacher that I chose not to expose you publicly. Yet, you started going after me instead!"
He had already gone as far as to apologize, but the other party still refused to step down.
Why? Will you only be contented after you slap my face?
Fine, here is my face… Slap it if you can!
"What did you say?" Not expecting a Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator to speak to him so insolently, Wu shi's expression turned livid.
Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up as he uttered coldly, "Don't you have ears to hear what I am saying? Kong shi left his insight as both a warning and advice to the later generations; it is one thing to distort the meaning of Kong shi's words, but to even go around spreading false teachings and beguiling others, you should be thankful that I didn't rip apart your lies. To be putting on an act before me here, are you trying to act as if you are formidable?"
He had been intending to keep a low profile and say nothing much, but the other party simply refused to stop.
Just because I am sparing your face, do you think that I am some kind of idiot?
Not expecting the other party to speak so rudely to him, Wu shi nearly burst into rage. "Audacious!"
"Audacious? Who is the one being audacious here? Kong shi left his insight here in order to test the later generations. There is a total of nine flaws here, but despite the many years your Saint Ascension Circle has dedicated to uncovering its secrets, you have never noticed them. What have you been doing all these years? As the incumbent leader of the circle, don't you feel the slightest guilt or embarrassment?" Zhang Xuan spoke sharply without any reservations.
Since the other party had decided to corner him like that, it would be impolite of him not to return the favor.
"Nine flaws?"
"How could Kong shi make any mistakes? This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!"
"Stop talking nonsense over there!"
…
Those words had left not only Wu shi stunned, but it had sparked a huge wave of criticism from the surrounding cultivators as well.
To them, the infallible Kong shi making a mistake was no different from the sky falling on them. How could they possibly believe it?
"You don't believe my words? Fine, I will point out the nine flaws right here and now for everyone to hear!"
Since he couldn't be bothered to waste any more time bickering over this matter, Zhang Xuan stepped forward to the cliff face and pointed with his finger. A surge of zhenqi gushed out from his fingertip as if a ray of light, highlighting the area where the first flaw was located. "The first flaw lies in this line, 'Composure frees worries, and agitation induces disturbance. If one can devote himself to the calm, a breakthrough is possible even in the state of stagnancy…' What this line is truly saying is that one's strength and spirit must be in harmony in order to attain true power. Strength without spirit makes one no different from a beast, a being with nothing but brute strength. Without a unique encounter, it would be impossible for one to achieve a breakthrough. On the other hand, spirit without strength is nothing more than a pipe dream…
"Kong shi only left behind a portion of the full quote in order to provoke deeper thoughts in the later generation and comprehend that just having spirit alone or strength alone is futile… Yet, Wu shi claimed that as long as one can achieve a composed state of mind, one can achieve a breakthrough even without strength… Impressive, why don't you achieve a breakthrough to show all of us? What are you waiting for? Go on!"
"You…" Wu shi's face flushed scarlet in embarrassment.
"The second flaw lies in the phrase, 'Fear the world, peer into the unknown horizon, embrace worries and fear, and only then will you advance…' What this means is that it is imperative to feel fear because that will become the drive for strength. If one remains complacent or escapes from one's fears, one will only stagnate.
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"There is no problem with this line for those who have just started treading on the path of cultivation. But upon reaching Saint realm, one will be wrestling with the heavens for power. If one were to allow fear to remain in one's heart, how could one possibly win against the heavens?
"A true expert must be capable of overcoming anything in their path. Fear should only be the basis to building up fearlessness, and only with a fearless mindset can one charge bravely ahead and overcome all odds in one's path!
"The third flaw…
"The fourth flaw…"
…
Zhang Xuan's words were sharp like knives, cutting straight into the flaws of the insights. They might be minor flaws, but it left the listeners in a daze, and they couldn't help but tremble in astonishment.
It was not that they had never had their doubts regarding certain aspects of the writing, but as this was the insight left behind by the venerated Kong shi, they disregarded such thoughts and blamed it on their ignorance instead.
But in this instant, for everything to be laid bare so clearly before them, their faces couldn't help but pale, and a tempest raged within their hearts… Could Kong shi really have been mistaken?
But… that's Kong shi! How could he be wrong?
He was the World's Teacher…
At that instant, Wu shi was completely dumbstruck as well.
As a 7-star master teacher, he had the judgement to tell that there were no mistakes in what the other party had said. However, as one who had immersed himself in the study of the insight for many years, those words were a huge blow to him, collapsing the faith which he had held firmly all those years.
"… and this is the ninth flaw!"
In a single breath, Zhang Xuan revealed all nine flaws.
Even though the entire area was ghastly silent, not a single person dared to utter a word or breathe loudly; nearly everyone had already been convinced by his words.
Weng!
As soon as Zhang Xuan's words came to a halt, a blinding light suddenly burst into the surroundings. The next moment, nine words from the nine flaws abruptly tore out from the cliff face and morphed into nine massive words.
"My commendations. Blindly trusting another, why not trust yourself!"
At the same time, the words in the nine flaws began rearranging themselves, and in just a short moment, they were corrected, and the writing became perfected.
"This is… Kong shi's acknowledgement?"
"He received Kong shi's acknowledgement?"
"It's not that Kong shi was mistaken, but that… this is a test he left behind for the later generations!"
"It's a pity that we never saw through it. Even the Saint Ascension Circle was unable to do so over all of those years…"
…
How could the crowd still not comprehend what was going on after all that had happened? Their bodies stiffened, and they couldn't help but kneel to the ground.
Since even Kong shi had given his acknowledgement, it could only mean that the words of the young man were correct!
Wu shi's ridicule and their mockery had instantly become nothing more than a joke.
"Th-this… Has all the time I spent studying Kong shi's writing been futile?" In this moment, Wu shi's face paled, and he couldn't help but stagger backward weakly.
The complexion of the two elders beside him, Wang shi and Sun shi, also paled, and they could hardly accept what was happening before them.
It couldn't be more apparent to them that it was a test Kong shi had set for them, but they had gone centuries without noticing it, and they had even taken pride in their analysis…
With many years of debates among many master teachers, the members of the Saint Ascension Circle had thought that they were only a step away from fully comprehending Kong shi's intent. But in this instant, it suddenly dawned on them that…
All of those profound theories they had come up with were nothing more than utter gibberish!
Kacha!
With the appearance of those nine words, an incomparably powerful aura suddenly spread over the crowd, jolting their souls. In an instant, they lost control of themselves and entered a unique state of mind.
Following which, the cliff face behind began shaking violently. As if it had finally fulfilled its raison d'être, cracks began appearing on it.
The cracks swiftly crept across the entire cliff face, shrouding its entirety before everything abruptly collapsed with a deafening 'boom!'. Smithereens flew all over the place, and a huge cloud of dust rose in the air.
In just a few short moments, the 3,324 words Kong shi had left behind had disappeared from existence.
The heck…
Watching as all of that unfolded before him, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was going to burst into tears.
He'd known that there were mistakes with the insight, but he hadn't thought that the cliff face would be so fragile as to collapse just by having them pointed out…
You fell valiantly and magnificently with a bang… but what about me?
With all of the master teachers gathered here to witness how I 'murdered' you, they will definitely have me pay with my life…
Must you really do me in like that?
"Hmm?"
On the other hand, Luo Ruoxin was busy searching around for the exact location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood when she abruptly heard the deafening rumble. Astonished, her body trembled in astonishment as she hurriedly turned her gaze to the cliff face.
There, she saw the dazed Zhang Xuan, whose mouth was twitching non-stop before the cliff face.
Both her eyes and mouth slowly widened in shock.
I was only gone for a moment!
Y-y-you… What did you do this time?
This is the Saint Ascension Platform, you know! How can you destroy this as well?