A short while before, just outside the Imperial Capital.

Blood suddenly gushed from Qingxuan’s mouth, eyes, ears, and nose—utterly unlooked for.

Yet, having witnessed the previous ordeal of Taihuang Daojun, Qingxuan was already prepared in his heart.

He had managed to weather the backlash on his Nascent Soul and the ensuing soul-force storm caused by the annihilation of his incarnations.

However, Qingxuan was in a truly wretched state now.

The technique Yiqi Hua Sanqing (One Qi Transforms Three Pure Ones) is forged from the division of one's three hun souls and seven po souls.

Each incarnation, even after damage, does not harm the foundation, yet each is supremely vital.

Once destroyed, it often requires a hundred years to recover, and the fundamental strength of the self will inevitably suffer some impact.

Qingxuan ignored his injuries, his hands forming a mudra.

It was the Zu character mantra from the Daoist Nine Syllable Mantra: ‘Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Shu, Jin, Reng, Zai’ (Assemble/Confront/Soldier/Battle/All/Array/Before/Act/Proceed).

Using this method, he desperately tried to recall the scattered remnants of his soul-thoughts.

However, over a full ten breaths, Qingxuan managed to recall only a few fractured pieces of his dispersed Nascent Soul; none of them held the memory of what occurred within the sealed space of Fenghua Palace.

“The one who slew my incarnations must undoubtedly be Wei Xu of the Cangsheng Dao! Worthy of being the Venerable Master chosen by the Xi Zi, what ruthless means he possesses—” Taihuang had by now recovered, though his complexion remained somewhat pale.

“To strike us down first, he must be attempting to conceal something?” “I am now more curious: Wei Xu has only just entered the Supreme Realm! What right does he have to slay both of us with a single sword stroke? We didn't even have time to react at all?” Qingxuan frowned, his gaze sharp with a chilling intensity: “Could it really be only because of those Twelve Town Guardian Bronze Men?” The sudden change of allegiance of the Twelve Town Guardian Bronze Men, now controlled by the Cangsheng Dao, equally piqued his curiosity, though it ranked secondary to the mystery burning in his mind.

“Jing Hua Shui Yue (Mirror Flower Water Moon), although it is an Eleventh-Grade Divine Ability, if it encounters a powerhouse, it can potentially be enhanced to the Thirteenth-Grade, the peerless level.” Taihuang speculated casually, yet he didn't dwell on it.

Nevertheless, a strange restlessness stirred within him, feeling as if he had grasped some crucial point, only to lose it again.

“Naturally, the Cangsheng Dao painstakingly planned this battle and would prepare other means to deal with you and me; it is not surprising.

Who dares to belittle the Xi Zi, who dares to belittle Xiuguan? In any case, there must be some secret that cannot be revealed.” “But as for Li Xue’er, it is most likely that she is facing dire peril this time.” Qingxuan was without immediate clues.

After a sigh, he gazed back toward the direction of the Imperial Capital, his eyes filled with complex emotion.

Though he lamented and felt pity for Li Xue’er, he harbored not the slightest intention of interfering or assisting.

The Death Ground suppressed by the Twelve Town Guardian Bronze Men was something that any Saintly Venerable of the Supreme Realm would go to great lengths to avoid.

Entering the city now would not only fail to rescue Li Xue’er but would also risk trapping himself.

Fortunately, those Town Guardian Bronze Men were clumsy, and their escape speed was not fast.

Moreover, the Cuoluan Shen Jue (Disorderly Soul Art) only requires a corresponding array to be pre-arranged to offset some of its power.

It was not entirely insurmountable.

“Not just Li Xue’er!” Taihuang shook his head, echoing the lament, “The Great Shang, Emperor Yuanchén Yin Yu, is utterly finished—” Disbelief flashed in both their eyes, and their hearts felt immensely heavy.

With the fall of the Great Shang, there would be no force left in this Cloud Realm capable of standing against the Great Qian Immortal Court.

Even the Shi Family, as they stood now, was far from qualified.

And Li Xue’er and Master Zhu, these two Saintly Venerables of the Supreme Realm—one annihilated and suppressed, the other with her Dao foundation shaken and severely injured.

In this battle, the Cangsheng Dao Sword Sect had almost swept across the entire Cloud Realm.

Though the Daoist Sect still possessed the two of them, they no longer held any power to counterbalance the situation— The balance of power had utterly reversed.

“What happened today is not entirely a bad thing, either.” This utterance from Qingxuan caused Taihuang to immediately raise an eyebrow, turning to his senior brother with an expression of surprise and inquiry.

“The situation in the Cloud Realm has become so unbalanced.

That person should be about ready to show themselves.” “Hm?” Taihuang narrowed his eyes: “Could it be what Senior Brother Cibei suspected eight thousand years ago? Does that person really exist?” “It should be true! In fact, even without Cibei mentioning it, I held the same suspicion.

However, that Dao Brother of ours was too hasty.

By making an enemy of that person, he sought to push this entire Daoist Sect into a state of eternal calamity.” Qingxuan sneered: “So, you and I only need to sit back and watch today.” Taihuang fell into deep contemplation.

If that person truly existed, then Cibei’s eight millennia of absence from the Cloud Realm became somewhat suspicious— Was Senior Brother Cibei still in this world? ※※※※ Within the Confucian Temple, Master Zhu still sat woodenly.

His previously profound and sharp eyes had lost all scholarly brilliance.

After a long while, he was finally roused by the clamor of discussion surrounding him.

“The Heaven and Earth have been sealed off; I fear Emperor Yuanchén’s fate is dire.” “Is this what it means for evil to not triumph over good? How could a Sage of this age die at the hands of a tyrannical ruler? My Lord is truly laughable, a mockery! Our assistance to Emperor Yuanchén means we were mere running dogs for that brutal tyrant—” “The Twelve Town Guardian Bronze Men turning against us—is this the will of Heaven? Has my Confucian School been forsaken by Heaven, leading to this calamity today? Are we doomed to see the Cangsheng Dao prosper while our Confucianism perishes?” “Absolutely not! Even if we erred, the fault lies not with the Ancient Sages, nor with the Confucian Classics, but with us.” “In truth, upon careful reflection, how much have we misinterpreted the classics left behind by those Sages? They speak of profound meaning in subtle words, but have we truly grasped the words of the Sages?” Master Zhu's spirits suddenly lifted; the near-collapse of his state of mind recovered a measure of warmth, easing the coldness in his chest.

That was right; this was far from the time to admit defeat! If he was wrong, then he would change; it was not an insurmountable issue.

In his younger years studying, he had also misunderstood the exegesis of the classics and had been reprimanded by his teachers.

As long as the aspiration toward the Dao remained, as long as the ambition to pursue the ultimate truth of the world did not extinguish, Master Zhu would eventually wash away the shame of these days! However, just as he prepared to move, he felt as if needles were piercing his entire body.

Only then did he realize the extent to which his Dao foundation had been shaken by today’s battle.

The injuries upon his body now were comparable to those sustained after fighting Xiuguan for ten days and ten nights.

Ignoring the pain, Master Zhu forced himself to rise, still standing proudly erect.

“The unity of Heaven and Man cannot be wrong; the investigation of things to acquire knowledge cannot be wrong.

Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Trust, Reciprocity, Loyalty, Filial Piety, Fraternity—these cannot be wrong!” The cold, clear voice was like a deafening roar, causing the many Tutors engaged in discussion nearby to cease talking and stare toward him with surprise.

“The fault lies with our Confucian School for suppressing the Hundred Schools of Thought to establish Confucian supremacy.

In doing so, we catered to successive dynasties, catered to the powerful aristocratic families, and twisted and sacrificed too much.

I, Zhu Xi, am also at fault, and perhaps the words of the Qian Emperor were correct after all—” Saying this, Zhu Xi ignored the gazes of surprise, scorn, resentment, and admiration cast upon him from all sides, and smiled faintly.

“I shall leave the Imperial Capital and return to Bailu Cave to enter seclusion.

The doctrines of the Confucian School are no longer fit for this age.

To avoid misleading future generations, the Bailu Cave Academy will also be sealed for twenty years.

Furthermore, I shall summon great Confucian scholars from across the realm to study the policies of the Great Qian and redefine the Classics!” The Confucian Temple fell into silence.

Most merely stared wordlessly, though a few showed expressions of profound respect.

Truly worthy of being Master Zhu, truly worthy of being a Sage!