As that white thunderbolt descended, Zong Shou was also taken aback. This was a tribulation lightning he had never witnessed before.

Yet, having perused nearly half the collection in the Dao of All Beings library, Zong Shou immediately recognized the nature of this lightning tribulation.

The Nine Profound Returning Cache Asking Divine Thunder questioned the mind and spirit, manifesting in response to Qi.

A jolt of alarm instinctively shot through him; he recalled an annotation by Xi Zi in that ancient scripture.

—"Questioning the Utterly Good and Utterly Evil, the might of this tribulation lightning surpasses all domains. I cannot withstand it."

The annotation was left by Xi Zi before he attained the Ultimate Realm, implying that the power of this tribulation lightning was something even Xi Zi, before facing his own ultimate realm tribulation, was unwilling to confront, unable to resist.

Zong Shou’s fists instantly clenched, his nails digging into his flesh. At that moment, Master Zhu’s voice cut through coldly.

“This lightning is named the Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder. I fashioned it by mimicking the Nine Profound Returning Cache Asking Divine Thunder, intending to punish the wickedness of the world and extol the goodness of this age. Though incomplete, it can already judge good and evil, righteousness and heresy. Those who embody ultimate good and perfect rectitude shall live, gaining the fortune of Heaven and Earth. However, anyone harboring even a slight malevolent or evil thought will surely be struck down by the thunder. Your Majesty, the Qian Emperor, being a sage ruling in this world, a saint made manifest, should surely possess a heart aligned with righteousness and goodness—”

Tens of thousands of torrents of Majestic Righteous Qi bore down upon him. Ahead, Li Biexue held his will locked from afar. Zong Shou had no means to evade; he could only flick his sleeve, flinging the little Jin Hanxi and the Azure Flame Mysterious Turtle—all his guardian spirit beasts—out beyond himself.

Lest these small creatures be implicated in this so-called Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder.

Inside, however, he was laughing with contained fury. The Nine Profound Returning Cache Asking Divine Thunder responded to Qi, but those like Jin Buhui, a man who lived an open life yet was framed and hated by the world due to injustice, were often brimming with malevolence.

How could a mere Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder truly distinguish good from evil? Furthermore, where in this world could an utterly good person possibly exist?

The little Jin and the others were safely dealt with, tossed aside. Xiaori and Xiaoyue, hidden within the Black and White Dharma Aspect, would also be safe. Only Jin Buhui’s Yin Soul was difficult to simply discard like this.

This place was saturated with Majestic Righteousness filling the sky. The blood-red Spirit-Slaying Divine Light also lingered, refusing to dissipate. Jin Buhui’s primordial soul was already shattered. Even if this fellow held righteous intentions and feared none of these great scholars, once outside Zong Shou's protection, he would inevitably suffer impact, rendering even reincarnation impossible.

While he hesitated, the white streak of lightning pierced into his body. It instantly traversed Zong Shou from head to toe, flooding his four limbs and myriad bones. It then slammed into the Shenxiao Acupoint, surging into the Sea of Consciousness where his nascent spirit resided.

Every corner of his interior, every gap between his body structures, every acupoint—none were spared.

And Master Zhu’s voice continued: “Your Majesty, if you are truly a sage king, a saint, then bearing this calamity will naturally allow you to emerge unharmed, moreover gaining boundless benefits as my gift. But if the power of the thunder triggers your demise, then so be it. Do you truly hold wicked thoughts in your heart, yet dare to claim sagehood?”

Zong Shou felt intensely aggrieved and frustrated. He reined in nearly all his strength, preparing to meet the inevitable explosion of the tribulation force.

His divine sense accelerated, fully seizing control of the Twelve Nation-Guarding Bronze Statues.

The Nation-Guarding Bronze Statues could distort and confuse the laws of the world; he wondered if they might have any effect against the destructive power of the Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder?

At this moment, regardless of whether it was useful or not, he had to try. As long as he was unwilling to die here, he needed to exert every ounce of power to resist the destructive might that would follow the eruption of the Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder.

Li Biexue opposite him had also halted his movements, wariness flashing in his eyes.

Though Master Zhu called it the Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder, with his cultivation, he could discern its core remained the Nine Profound Returning Cache Asking Divine Tribulation Thunder.

This type of Heavenly Tribulation Force demanded that even he retreat three leagues, daring not to engage with it.

With his late-stage Ultimate Realm strength, it wasn't that he couldn't resist it, but resisting it would certainly result in grave injury.

If Zong Shou died, the Increase-Granting Profound Wings would be masterless. But if Li Biexue ultimately failed to protect them, it would all be for naught. Qingxuan Taihuang was lurking nearby, observing; this battle demanded extreme caution.

Shaking his head slightly, Li Biexue immediately regained his placid expression. He truly did not care by whose hand Zong Shou died, so long as that item was obtained. It merely meant waiting a little longer, which was acceptable—

A cold sneer flickered in his eyes. This Master Zhu had gone to great lengths to uphold the prestige and orthodox legitimacy of Confucianism.

To die beneath the Nine Profound Returning Cache Asking Divine Thunder would be the most galling end. Zong Shou, a hero of his generation, brilliantly talented, yet perishing because of this lightning—it was truly laughable, pitiable, and sad.

Thinking thus, Li Biexue suddenly froze, his expression utterly shocked, staring at his opponent with stunned disbelief.

The tribulation lightning had been inside Zong Shou’s body for nearly two breaths of time. Yet, the destructive force of the Nine Profound Returning Cache Asking Divine Tribulation Thunder showed no sign of erupting.

Those wisps of white current coiled around Zong Shou like snakes, but they seemed unable to find a target, merely circulating aimlessly.

And stimulated by the thirty thousand strands of Majestic Righteousness, a colossal column of white energy shot straight toward the heavens.

White tinged with gold, pure white to the point of blinding glare. It was a hundred feet thick, coiling with the phantom images of a Dragon and a Phoenix.

The Dragon was a thousand feet long, its horns ferocious, possessing five limbs and nine claws. The Phoenix was a Fire Phoenix, crowned with a purple-gold diadem, its body wreathed in crimson flames.

This was the favor of Heaven and Earth, the will of the Heavenly Dao manifesting in the forms of the most powerful divine beasts in this world, protecting destiny.

Now, seemingly offended and collided with, the giant Dragon roared, the Fire Phoenix cried out long and loud.

The thirty thousand strands of Majestic Righteousness that had obscured the sky were instantly shattered and disintegrated by the echoing calls of the Dragon and Phoenix—a full ten thousand strands were annihilated.

At this moment, Zong Shou himself felt utterly bewildered. This so-called ‘Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder’ had surged back and forth within his body for dozens of cycles, yet still showed no signs of eruption.

Not only had it failed to erupt, but instead, faint streams of warmth flowed into his Nine Great Wheel Meridians and his four limbs and myriad bones.

The Immortal Essence, largely depleted, was instantly restored to its peak. And his wounds began to heal at an astonishing speed.

Not only were his physical injuries healed, but his body was constantly strengthening. The final step to achieving the Indestructible Body, which had been interrupted by Li Xin’s interference, was now crossed effortlessly, achieved as naturally as water finding its level.

His Sea of Consciousness was also rapidly expanding. The Inner Heaven and Earth within his physique grew ever closer to completeness.

This was not merely an increase in cultivation; the 'Dao' character divine mantra at the core of his nascent spirit was also continuously being augmented. Spiritual patterns and Daoist talismans were constantly being generated and added.

Many profound laws of the Great Dao were ones Zong Shou had never encountered before, yet now, inexplicably, he understood their true meaning, mastering all their mysteries.

Could this situation mean—

The legendary Nine Profound Returning Cache Asking Divine Thunder possessed no inherent might, but instead vastly increased one's cultivation? However, the prerequisite was successfully passing the thunder’s interrogation.

So, in this current situation, had he somehow already passed it safely? Was that why the thunder force had not erupted?

After a moment of stunned contemplation, Zong Shou instantly understood, recalling the black Qilin.

Xiaori fed on the world's righteous Qi, while the black Qilin fed on malevolent Qi.

When the two canceled each other out, what remained was the pure, righteous Qi that Xiaori could not swallow.

So that was it? This truly seemed to be the will of Heaven—

Zong Shou felt little joy in his heart, but rather an internal sigh.

Master Zhu’s actions today must have been long planned and certain to execute. Yet, he had likely pushed the entire Confucian School and its doctrine into a state of eternal damnation!

The character for Confucianism (Ru) is interpreted as the needs of humanity. It requires propriety, morality, and laws for governing. This is why the Confucian lineage has endured for tens of thousands of years, becoming the foremost great school in the world.

But now, could it be that Heaven has grown weary of it?

Those Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunders might have failed to find a target. After washing through Zong Shou’s body, a portion continued to spread outwards to probe.

Jin Buhui’s primordial soul was currently in Zong Shou’s sleeve, bearing the brunt of the touch.

Zong Shou startled, immediately casting aside his distracting thoughts. Just as he was about to recall these forces of the Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder, his heart suddenly stirred.

With a thought, he urged Xiaoyue’s Evil-Eclipsing ability, attempting to devour the malevolent essence.

In just a moment, he allowed the power of the Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder to flow into Jin Buhui’s primordial spirit.

In a single breath, Zong Shou’s eyes shone with delight. He hadn't felt joy over his own massive cultivation increase, but rather mourned the decline of Confucianism, believing that the Confucian doctrine and principles were not entirely without merit. But now, as Jin Buhui’s primordial soul was being repaired inch by inch under the infusion of the Divine Azure Heart-Questioning Thunder, Zong Shou’s heart swelled with relief and immense gratification.

This was Heaven showing favor, unwilling to let the loyal and virtuous suffer injustice!

Pure white kingly aura blazed toward the sky. The Dragon and Phoenix roared, seemingly venting their fury, causing crimson flames to spread and strong winds to sweep across the heavens.

Over ten thousand strands of the scholars' Majestic Righteous Qi were forcibly scattered. The remaining twenty thousand or so strands trembled violently, swaying precariously under the pressure of the pure white kingly aura, struggling to hold on.

And at this moment, from Zong Shou’s sleeve, another cluster of white light simultaneously surged into the air.

Equally pure white and flawless. Majestic and righteous, faintly tinged with purple, it mirrored Zong Shou's pure white kingly aura. Though the column of energy was smaller, it was not eclipsed or dimmed by the reflection.

The shadowy form of Jin Buhui’s soul also manifested beside Zong Shou. He looked around in confusion, his expression bewildered.

He had been asleep in Zong Shou’s sleeve until this moment, only now waking up.

He discovered that the feeling of weakness in his divine sense had vanished. Instead, he felt incomparably warm, and even stronger than when he possessed a physical body.

And almost at the same instant, within the Confucian Temple, before the Three Sages of the Confucian School.

Zhu Xi, who had been sitting in meditation there, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the robes on his chest crimson.

His eyes were dull and vacant, his vital energy chaotic, causing searing pain like being cut by a thousand knives within his body.

However, this physical pain was far surpassed by the torment in his mind, as if being sliced by a thousand blades and scorched by fierce fire.

An indescribable sense of regret and fear spread through Zhu Xi’s chest, burning him intensely.

And around him, dozens of Confucian masters were also seated in meditation. At this moment, they too had blood staining their chests, their eyes filled with disbelief.