夫子手稿

Zeng San's eyes flickered, his clear gaze reflecting the appearance of the young man before him: "All supernatural powers transcend words. The Master's manuscripts contain his Dao and principles, which may disappoint Mr. An."

Although Confucianism takes spreading knowledge as its mission, the Master's handwriting is not just handwriting, but also one of the symbols of Confucianism.

In a sense, it can be regarded as the treasure of Confucianism.

Although he had a good impression of the person in front of him, without knowing his background, it was impossible to invite him to view the Master's handwriting upon their first meeting.

This was a polite refusal.

"What Confucianism cultivates is not the way of detachment from the world. Having been passed down to this day, the classics of the various masters have been widely circulated, and they should not mind others taking a look."

Zeng San's refusal was natural, and An Qisheng was not surprised. Seeing Zeng San frown, he then said, "I am the spiritual wisdom born from the Bodhi tree. Since gaining consciousness, I have no other supernatural powers. What I have gained is only 'enlightenment.' If I gain anything from viewing it, I will leave it all with Old Zeng and will not take away the slightest bit."

The Immortal Earth Dao, or rather, the things that the person behind it didn't want him to know, only increased An Qisheng's curiosity.

Having gained nothing from the Night-Wandering God or the Yuanmou Man, his only hope lay in those masters who, even after being sealed by time, still had their names passed down.

Confucius of Confucianism was one of them.

"A Bodhi seed?"

Zeng San's brows relaxed. The original form of a demon was quite important to the demon race. The fact that the person in front of him could speak of his original form showed sincerity.

"It's just, what is this so-called enlightenment? Can you really gain something with this supernatural power? Is that an exaggeration?"

Zeng San looked at An Qisheng with a hint of curiosity.

After the Phoenix Emperor's war against the heavens, the Emperor severed the path to becoming a god, and the inheritances of all sects and schools were cut off. He had searched bitterly for two hundred years without gaining anything.

Could he really gain something with just one supernatural power?

"By observing a part, one can understand the whole. The so-called enlightenment is to comprehend the supernatural powers, techniques, and principles that the sages of the past cultivated from the classics they left behind."

An Qisheng concealed something, but not intentionally.

There were many supernatural powers in the world, and there may well be supernatural powers similar to gaining classics from people's dreams, but he couldn't say it clearly because of the person behind the scenes.

That person very likely had a deep understanding of himself, or rather, of the Da Yi supernatural power, and was guarding against it.

An Qisheng had already sensed this.

"There's such a supernatural power?"

Zeng San was somewhat surprised. He had never heard of such a supernatural power.

But if he were lying, wouldn't it be easily exposed?

After a moment of thought, he took out a yellowed ancient scroll from his bosom and handed it to An Qisheng: "This is a manuscript left by a great Confucian of my Confucian school. Please, Mr. An, display this supernatural power."

This was a yellowed ancient scroll, made of extremely good materials and well-preserved. However, it had been through a long time, and although the writing on it was still clear, the scroll surface was inevitably yellowed.

"That is natural."

An Qisheng smiled slightly. The moment he took the ancient scroll, a faint light appeared in the depths of his eyes.

Buzz~

In an instant, ripples arose in his mind, and on the high-hanging bright mirror, countless texts seemed to come alive, encircling and rotating each other.

They actually outlined a picture from nothing.

Whoosh~

His divine will lightly touched it, as if breaking through a thin film.

Countless images flowed through his mind like water, and then froze.

An old house, an old tree, a green lamp...

From far to near, from large to small, as if traveling through a long time, An Qisheng's gaze fell on this old house.

In the dim light, an old man was writing furiously, occasionally accompanied by a light cough.

"...The Emperor severed the path to heaven, and all Daos are not flourishing... Humans and demons fight endlessly, and the flames of war spread, causing the people to live in misery... Alas, I have sought the Master's principles all my life without success, alas, I have struggled bitterly, unable to secure peace..."

"The Dao is free and unfettered, Buddhism cultivates the self, but where is the Dao of my Confucian school? Master, your disciple is incompetent, unable to inherit your legacy, and even more tragically, unable to pass it on, unable to pass it on..."

"... Tens of thousands of years, how much running around, how much persistence, how much struggle, is it all ultimately like a dream? Gods and Buddhas are invincible, where is the path for all living beings? Where is it?!"

"Pitiful, tragic, hateful..."

Under the dim lamplight, the old man's aura flickered like a candle, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

He wanted to write down everything he knew and understood again and again, but each attempt failed.

He had everything in his heart, but he couldn't express it. He wanted to leave a book, but he couldn't write it.

He tried to write again and again, with blood, on stone tablets, with hidden characters, riddles, and disassembled characters... But after countless methods, he still couldn't leave any writing.

He knew, but it was no different from not knowing anything.

An Qisheng stared intently, faintly feeling empathy.

As his realm climbed, the supernatural power of entering dreams had transformed several times, and was no longer what it used to be. With a thought, he could perceive everything that the other person could perceive.

Sorrow,

Resentment,

Sighs,

Compassion,

Worry... Many emotions surged in his heart in an instant, this was the old man's melancholy.

At the same time, many memories of the old man emerged in his mind.

This old man was named 'Zeng Yan,' a true Confucian sage, the great-great-grandson of 'Zeng,' one of Confucius' seventy-two direct disciples, and also the ancestor of Zeng San.

He lived in the era when the Emperor severed the path to heaven and Confucianism was cut off, and also the chaotic period when humans and demons truly fought.

Because of his status and inheritance, he knew far more than Zeng San, but unfortunately, he couldn't say it.

"Will anyone hear me? I don't know..."

After a long time, the old man seemed to give up completely, walked out of the room. His figure was thin, tall but no different from Zeng San.

He stood under the old tree, facing the night and looking up at the starry sky, muttering to himself: "Perhaps it's futile, but even He can't deprive history..."

He murmured in his heart, the light of his mind shone like substance, illuminating the courtyard, and then turned into a pen in his palm.

Using the void as paper, his heart as a pen, and the Confucian aura he had cultivated throughout his life as ink, he began to write.

"...When the chaotic world first opened, the gods were born, this is the Divine Demon Epoch. The Divine Demon Epoch is dominated by three supreme divine beasts,

One is the Zhulong (torch dragon), the second is the Divine Lin (divine Qilin), and the third is the Fenghuang (phoenix).

These are the ancestors of scales, feathers, and beasts. This epoch begins with the Fenghuang not being born and already fallen, and ends with the Heavenly Saint and the Demon Saint attaining the Dao.

The Heavenly Demon Epoch then begins.

The two Saints descended to the mortal realm, sweeping away the divine demons of the heavens. After many years of war, the Heavenly Saint ascended to the heavens to preach, and many great supernatural beings followed, gradually evolving into the prototype of the Imperial Court.

The Demon Saint entered the earth, opened up the underground Demon Abyss, collected the Yin evil and resentment of the world, and gathered all the demons from the beginning of the world to the present, becoming the ancestor of the Demon Abyss.

The two sides fought for many years, and many of the gods and demons born at the beginning of the world fell, but races different from the gods and demons were born on the bodies of the gods and demons.

This is the beginning of the human race.

The end of the Heavenly Demon Epoch is symbolized by the initial opening of the Imperial Court and the birth of the human race.

After the epochs, the Primordial Era arrives.

In the Primordial Era, the gods and demons licked their wounds and silently accumulated strength, the Heavenly Saint and the Demon Saint ceased fighting and cultivated in silence.

The newborn human race ushered in the Primordial Era in ignorance, fighting with fierce beasts, fighting with heaven and earth, and gradually gained a foothold.

Heaven and earth changed again, and a great world came from nowhere, awakening the gods and demons of the heavens. A hegemon in that world was unparalleled in strength.

Its master called himself 'Tianhuang Laoren' (Old Man of the Desolate Heaven), claiming that his race was demon. That Tianhuang Laoren had the power of Zhulong, and his body was infinitely large.

The arrival of the demon world triggered the gods and demons to riot and suppress it. The battle lasted countless years, and finally ended with the fall of Tianhuang Laoren and the demon world being renamed 'Animal Path.'

In the Primordial Era, the gods and demons fought with the demons, and the human race was also affected, almost extinct, struggling to survive.

..."

Zeng Yan wrote furiously in the night, his light was vast, and his aura was extremely strong. However, the words disappeared when they fell, and the words were lost when they were spoken. Even the many Confucian disciples who were alarmed by his actions didn't know what he was doing at all.

But he seemed unaware, only leaving words in the air stroke by stroke. Only An Qisheng could feel the bitterness in his heart.

This was not his first attempt, but it was certainly his last.

For no other reason than that his lifespan was coming to an end.

Even if he didn't know if it would work, he had to let go and do it.

"Divine Demon Epoch, Heavenly Demon Epoch, Primordial Epoch..."

An Qisheng's mind sank. This was the first time he had seen the complete past of the Immortal Earth Dao, or rather, the Huang Tian (Imperial Heaven) World.

Boom!

At a certain moment, a muffled thunder resounded in the night, rumbling and vibrating. From an unknown distance of thousands or tens of thousands of miles, it alarmed this ancient city.

Screech~~~

Immediately, an extremely high-pitched cry resounded through the sky.

Under the night, a peacock with gorgeous wings, dazzling colors, and an extremely strong aura, came from the south, scattering endless divine light.

"Peacock King!"

Someone in the ancient city exclaimed, someone was horrified, and some fled in panic, but more people approached this ancient house.

Snap~

In the ancient house, startled by the bird's cry, the brush in Zeng Yan's hand trembled, disappearing after the 'Epoch of Emperors' Struggle.'

"Perhaps it is the will of heaven that is hard to defy. I, Zeng Yan, am ultimately not as good as my ancestor..."

The old man sighed softly in his heart.

He looked up at the peacock coming from the south, its aura was lofty, its expression was aloof and arrogant, and said loudly: "I wonder what is the purpose of the Peacock King's arrival?"

"My brother was killed by a member of your Confucian school!"

A sharp but not harsh cry resounded through the night, full of icy coldness: "Eighty cities must be swallowed, and Confucian disciples must be sent to comfort my brother's spirit!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~

As the sound waves howled, a storm suddenly arose between heaven and earth.

From an unknown distance of thousands or tens of thousands of miles, dust and sand were flying on the ground. Under the sweeping wind, countless mud, earth, and sand were lifted into the sky.

Even the entire ancient city was trembling and rumbling, and the formations and restrictions set up outside seemed to have completely lost their effect.

Before he finished speaking, thousands or tens of thousands of people in the city broke through houses and flew into the sky, as if to throw themselves into the peacock's mouth.

"How dare you do this?!"

Zeng Yan was furious, shouted loudly, and a celestial river seemed to manifest in the heavens and the earth.

The celestial river shone, its shape was majestic like a divine dragon, its aura was dignified, as if illuminating the entire night. All the flying people were wrapped in the long river and returned to the city.

"The Confucian school's River of Righteousness? Zeng Yan, you can't stop me!"

With a long cry, the Peacock King cut through the void for hundreds of miles, and a hazy five-colored light appeared on its wings, about to sweep away the long river.

"Five-Colored Divine Light..."

An Qisheng, who was watching this scene, couldn't help but move in his heart. This Five-Colored Divine Light was naturally far from being comparable to the one he had seen in the mind of the Night-Wandering God.

But except for its immaturity and some missing essence, it was not much different from the Divine Light of the Five Elements formed by his Five Qi Unification...

"Five-Colored Divine Light! The Peacock King has actually mastered the Five-Colored Divine Light!"

A Confucian disciple exclaimed in horror.

Many great supernatural powers appeared in the Battle of the Celestial Extermination, but the Five-Colored Divine Light must be among the best!

Those who could compare with it, apart from the Confucian school's River of Righteousness, were only the Yin-Yang energy, which was equally mysterious and unpredictable.

Some Confucian disciples were also excited in their hearts, having a determined belief in victory for the River of Righteousness.

However, contrary to everyone's expectations.

This sweep missed.

The River of Righteousness disappeared directly when the five-colored intertwined divine light whistled.

"The Ancestor and your ancestor were known as the Two Kongs, and once fought side by side. Can the River of Righteousness stand against the Five-Colored Divine Light?"

Zeng Yan withdrew the River of Righteousness, looked at the Peacock King spreading its wings and crowing, and sighed in his heart.

Once upon a time, the human and demon races could still fight side by side. Although there were disharmonies, they were ultimately harmless.

The relationship between the Confucian school and the Peacock race, although not extremely good, had not reached the point of life and death like it was now.

"You dare to mention your ancestor?"

The Peacock King raised its neck and crowed: "A stinky, pedantic Confucian, what virtues and abilities does he have to compare with my ancestor?

You even dare to place him above my ancestor?"

Boom!

The storm raged, the city shook, and countless houses swayed.

Many Confucian disciples climbed onto the roofs and eaves, and when they heard these words, they couldn't help but burst into anger: "Those with fur and horns are not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as our Master!"

"Looking for death!"

The Peacock King was furious, spreading its wings and stirring up a tidal wave in the sky, pouncing down amidst the endless lightning and thunder, wanting to destroy the entire city.

"Enough!"

Zeng Yan shouted coldly, suppressing the city's riots. He rose into the air, rushing towards the Peacock King at a speed that seemed slow but was actually fast.

Boom!

A deafening roar exploded.

Zeng Yan was bathed in the Five-Colored Divine Light, and actually did not resist the Five-Colored Divine Light that covered him at all.

"You?"

The Peacock King looked at the old man in astonishment.

"Is this the Five-Colored Divine Light? It is indeed an unparalleled supernatural power..."

Surrounded by the five colors, Zeng Yan sensed the changes in his body, his expression was calm and composed: "Your brother was killed by a member of the Confucian school. As the head of the Confucian school, I should atone for his life."

His lifespan was coming to an end, and he had no time to explore what had happened, nor did he want to kill the Peacock King and increase the hatred between humans and demons.

"I only hope that the Peacock King will not kill indiscriminately, so as not to profane the past struggles of our ancestors..."

In the Peacock King's astonished gaze, he slowly closed his eyes, allowing the Five-Colored Divine Light to sweep him into it.

"Teacher!"

"Uncle Ancestor!"

"Senior Brother Zeng!"

...

Screech~~~

Cries, exclamations, and high-pitched cries resounded for a time.

Then, many images began to fade, and finally, like porcelain falling to the ground, they shattered completely, turning into countless streamers.

They submerged into An Qisheng's mind.

That was the Dao charm and principles contained in this ancient scroll.

Whoosh~

An Qisheng slowly opened his eyes, and with a casual finger, a wisp of shimmering light flowed from his fingertip.

The light was dim, but it was also radiant, as if it could be blown out by the wind at any time, but it also had a tenacious aura of endless life in it.

Zeng San's pupils shrank, and he finally moved:

"This is... the River of Righteousness?"