Chapter 4081: The Second Confucian Ancestor
The Wuding Divine Sea stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist, appearing eerily enchanting under the reflection of the starry sky.
Such a scene truly stirred the heart with surging emotions.
On the cliff at the sea's edge, an emperor and an ancestor faced each other—one standing, one seated—scrutinizing one another. Their auras were not overtly displayed, yet they were omnipresent. It was like the meeting of heaven and earth, either constructing a peaceful and harmonious new world or colliding to destroy heaven and earth.
The Second Confucian Ancestor, with his tall hat and flowing robes, possessed an immortal and transcendent bearing. He pointed to the seat where Xu Wenzhi had just been sitting and said with a smile, "Imperial Dust, please!"
Whether the visitor came with good or ill intent, Zhang Ruochen had no reason to be timid.
He stepped forward.
Chi Yao wanted to accompany Zhang Ruochen, but Zhang Ruochen merely raised his hand slightly, and she remained where she was.
The reasoning was simple: the fact that the Second Confucian Ancestor could enter the Wuding Divine Sea silently was a testament to his absolute cultivation.
Any divine formation, including Zhang Ruochen's perception, was as good as nonexistent before him.
In other words, if the Second Confucian Ancestor wished to assassinate Zhang Ruochen, he would have the opportunity to bypass the formations and inflict severe damage before Zhang Ruochen could activate the Victory Crown and the Great Venerable's Twenty-Seven Layer Heavenly Realm World.
Such was the terror of a Spiritual Power Ancestor!
Even with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, stepping into an area pre-arranged by the Second Confucian Ancestor was extremely dangerous, with a high chance of being trapped within.
The Second Confucian Ancestor was renowned for his formations; the "Heavenly Human Chess Formation" had suppressed the Dark Lord for who knows how many years.
Leaving Chi Yao outside was leaving a contingency plan.
Facing an Ancestor, who would dare not take them with utmost seriousness?
The Second Confucian Ancestor might not attack, but Zhang Ruochen had to guard against the possibility and possess the ability to respond even if he did.
Entering within ten steps of the Second Confucian Ancestor, Zhang Ruochen clearly felt the order and spiritual power field within the space.
It was like stepping into another world, a world entirely opened up by the other party.
With each step Zhang Ruochen took, the invisible chains on his body multiplied, pulling him back, preventing him from approaching the seat opposite the Second Confucian Ancestor.
Undoubtedly, this was the Second Confucian Ancestor testing his strength.
If he couldn't even reach that seat, he naturally wouldn't be qualified to sit as an equal with the Second Confucian Ancestor.
As for Xu Wenzhi, it was through his chess skills that he had earned that position.
Zhang Ruochen's steps were steady, his pace balanced between fast and slow, as if facing no obstruction at all. He arrived at the opposite side of the chess table and sat down as a matter of course.
"Imperial Dust addresses me as the Second Confucian Ancestor, rather than the Eternal True Ruler. This old man is very pleased. I had planned to visit you at the Origin Divine Temple later, but I never expected to meet in this manner."
The Second Confucian Ancestor's smile was sincere, but he always maintained the aloof and proud bearing of a Confucian master, a rhythm of one who has stood atop the peaks overlooking all mountains for ages.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I have been waiting for you, Confucian Ancestor, without taking the initiative to visit the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Confucian Ancestor, do you know why?"
A strange light flickered in the Second Confucian Ancestor's eyes, and he shook his head.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Because I want to know, when will an Ancestor who walked out of the Kunlun Realm finally return to his homeland for a look?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor hadn't expected that a junior would be so sharp in momentum, showing no fear of his status as an Ancestor, nor reverence for an Ancestor's power. He had just sat down and was already trying to seize the initiative in the conversation.
Whoever seized the initiative would naturally appear more dominant.
Zhang Ruochen had already made his stance clear: he would not obey the Second Confucian Ancestor like a junior, nor would he be intimidated by the Ancestor's cultivation.
The Second Confucian Ancestor said, "This old man has heard that Imperial Dust envisions embracing all rivers and encompassing all things, yet you seem to place great importance on your homeland. Isn't the entire universe our homeland?"
Zhang Ruochen praised, "Worthy of being the Ancestor of Confucianism, with a broad mind that encompasses the cosmos. I am not your equal!"
The Second Confucian Ancestor knew Zhang Ruochen's words carried hidden meaning, and said, "Imperial Dust need not mock. The Kunlun Realm is my place of origin, and I hold a unique and irreplaceable affection for it in my heart."
Zhang Ruochen inwardly acknowledged the Second Confucian Ancestor's skill. By stating this so bluntly, he demonstrated his sincerity and lack of evasion, while also highlighting Zhang Ruochen's narrow-mindedness.
Because those with a clear conscience disdain sarcasm and mockery.
After venting his dissatisfaction with the Second Confucian Ancestor, Zhang Ruochen collected his thoughts and said with a calm mind, "Confucian Ancestor has gone through the trouble of returning. Surely it's not just to play a game of chess and walk an ancient path of your origin, is it?"
The sea breeze continued to blow, making the Second Confucian Ancestor appear even more ethereal, as if he might ride the wind away.
He said solemnly, "This old man was reluctant to meddle in the internal affairs of the Sword Realm, but since it concerns the Nether Ancestor, I had no choice but to offer a word of caution. Nine Heavens cannot be the Nether Ancestor."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Why is that?"
"Because this old man has seen the Nether Ancestor," said the Second Confucian Ancestor.
These words shook everyone present.
Xu Wenzhi and Xu Tingting felt a surge of goodwill towards the Second Confucian Ancestor for clearing Nine Heavens' name. After all, they had suffered too much injustice over this matter in recent years.
The Second Confucian Ancestor continued, "How many years ago, I can no longer recall, but it must be at least five million years. It was in a different space-time during the siege of the Dark Lord that the Nether Ancestor made a move."
Zhang Ruochen said, "She showed herself?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor nodded. "She did."
"What did her true form look like?"
"No one knows what her true form looks like," said the Second Confucian Ancestor. "The Nether Ancestor has a thousand faces and a thousand forms, transforming at will, unbound by any single material appearance. Her state of mind has likely transcended the shackles of form, acting freely, with all five aggregates empty—the supreme attitude of the Buddhist path."
Disappointment flickered in Zhang Ruochen's eyes, but then they shone with sharp light, and he asked with great interest, "I once saw your inscription in the inner world of the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror. In it, you mentioned the Human Ancestor, which left me quite perplexed. I wonder if the Confucian Ancestor could enlighten me today?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor glanced at Yinghuo, stroked his beard, and smiled. "I made a trip to the Undying Blood Clan, bringing her and the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror along. I also have a presumptuous request. I wonder if Imperial Dust would lend me the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror?"
For the Second Confucian Ancestor to personally make the trip, the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror must be of great use.
But seizing the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror from Yinghuo would be no difficult task, requiring no intervention from the Second Confucian Ancestor. Any third-generation disciple of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom could do it.
Why was this?
"The Second Confucian Ancestor's purpose in going to the Undying Blood Clan should be to personally meet my maternal grandfather. The strength and future potential my grandfather displayed in repelling the Thunder Lord are enough to attract an Ancestor's attention. Moreover, the Ice Emperor and the Undying War God are no ordinary figures."
Thinking this, Zhang Ruochen said, "The Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror was originally your possession, Confucian Ancestor. Now it's returning to its rightful owner!"
"The things of this world belong to the world itself. What rightful owner is there? Whoever obtains it first is the owner," said the Second Confucian Ancestor, shaking his head. "Whoever can hold it in their hands and hold it steady is the true owner."
Although the Second Confucian Ancestor was a Confucian cultivator, he had entered the Dao through chess. His inner nature was not about self-cultivation and tranquility, but about contending with heaven and earth, contending with others, and contending with himself.
For a chess player, winning and losing are paramount.
Otherwise, there would be no need to play!
Zhang Ruochen said, "Confucian Ancestor believes I have already held the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror steady?"
"At the very least, no one dares to seize it easily," said the Second Confucian Ancestor.
"Does the Confucian Ancestor also dare not?"
"It's not that I dare not, but this old man is the Ancestor of Confucianism, the Eternal Ruler. In the end, I must maintain face. If I can obtain it in a dignified manner, there's no need to make a mess of things."
Zhang Ruochen hadn't expected the Second Confucian Ancestor to be so blunt.
Of course, the Second Confucian Ancestor was also telling Zhang Ruochen that he was not a rigid Confucian scholar bound by convention. The reason he hadn't forcibly taken it was that he could obtain it with dignity, not that forcible seizure wasn't an option.
Zhang Ruochen said, "In that case, I will gift you the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror, and you, Confucian Ancestor, will enlighten me. Wouldn't that be a win-win for all?"
"Lending and gifting are not much different." The Second Confucian Ancestor nodded, then said, "Aren't you going to ask what this old man wants the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror for?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I won't ask. I have no interest."
The Second Confucian Ancestor laughed heartily, his voice booming like thunder. "This old man had thousands of words prepared to say, but you've cut me off before I could speak. Truly unsatisfying. Good, good!"
After a long pause, the Second Confucian Ancestor sat upright and said, "The Dark Lord and the Nether Ancestor are both eternal cosmic sources of calamity. From ancient times to the present, to prolong their lives and achieve immortality, they have devoured countless flourishing civilizations, raising all living beings to nourish themselves."
"It was the Space-Time Human Ancestor who crossed the River of Time from the ancient wilderness, seeking to eliminate the sources of calamity for future generations."
"You also cultivate both time and space. You should know that only those who have cultivated both time and space to the pinnacle can traverse past and present, and intervene across time."
"Other cultivators, no matter how high their cultivation, even reaching the Ancestor level, find it extremely difficult. To rashly go to the future would most likely result in being killed by the Dark Lord and the Nether Ancestor in that future."
"Thus, although Ancestors can cross time to go to the past and future, they often dare not do so. An Ancestor, invincible in the present, entering the River of Time often meets a miserable end, never to return."
"The Human Ancestor's cultivation was peerless, not inferior to the Nine Grand Shamans. But upon arriving in the future, he was subject to the backlash of time and the suppression of heaven and earth's rules, making it difficult to suppress the two calamity sources alone. Therefore, he chose this old man in my youth to cultivate as an assistant."
After a moment of thought, the Second Confucian Ancestor added, "The Human Ancestor must have fought the two calamity sources many times in the River of Time, and also cultivated many assistants. But in the end, all ended in failure!"
"The Nether Ancestor and the Dark Lord are both unparalleled villains rarely seen through the ages, their strength not inferior to the Human Ancestor. And for the Human Ancestor to cultivate an Ancestor-level assistant is extremely difficult; they might be killed by the Nether Ancestor and the Dark Lord midway before they mature."
"It can be said that in that battle back then, if the Nether Ancestor hadn't made a move, this old man and the Human Ancestor alone might not have been able to dismember the Dark Lord."
Zhang Ruochen pondered, then said, "Since the victory was so hard-won, why did the God Realm release the Dark Lord's black hand?"
"Times change."
The Second Confucian Ancestor spoke unhurriedly. "After years of erosion, the Dark Lord is no longer a threat. But the Nether Ancestor faction has grown increasingly powerful. The Nether Ancestor has even cultivated a corpse demon like Corpse Demon into an Ancestor, and there are potential threats like the Nine-Headed Stone Man. The God Realm alone can no longer contend. The only option was to release the black hand, using the hatred between the Dark Lord and the Nether Ancestor to create a new balance, buying more time for your rise."
Zhang Ruochen's eyelids lifted slightly. "It was for me?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor returned a confirming gaze. "After the Nether Ancestor severed the River of Time, preventing the Human Ancestor and the ancient Shaman Ancestors from reaching the present era, this old man has barely managed to keep the Nether Ancestor faction in check over the years."
"Fortunately, the Nether Ancestor was severely wounded by the ancient Shaman Ancestor summoned by the Great Venerable, and further injured by the Twenty-Four Heavens. Otherwise, relying on this old man's strength alone, it would have been absolutely impossible to stop that minor calamity at the end of the Middle Ages."
"This old man spends most of his time sleeping in the God Realm, yet even so, my lifespan is not long. I only hope to hold on until the day you step into the Ancestor realm."
"With your First-Rank Divine Path, your future achievements will surely surpass this old man's and the Great Venerable's. Cleaning up the Nether Ancestor faction and restoring clarity to heaven and earth will be no difficult task."
Zhang Ruochen frowned. "Confucian Ancestor means that the only great calamity in the world today is the Nether Ancestor?"
"Corpse Demon, Hongmeng Black Dragon, and the Dark Lord can all be called Ancestor-level calamities. But with your cultivation speed, catching up to and surpassing them is already within sight. The Nether Ancestor, however, is different. She is truly unfathomable. Even though this old man has achieved Ancestor-level spiritual power, to me, she is like looking at flowers through a fog—I cannot see through her, nor can I grasp her. I have fear in my heart," said the Second Confucian Ancestor.
For an Ancestor to say "have fear in my heart"—what a high evaluation this was!
Like the mountain that the Fate Ancestor could not cross.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since the Confucian Ancestor is speaking so freely today, and even sees me as the hope for eliminating the Nether Ancestor faction in the future, I will boldly ask: Is there no Immortal behind the God Realm?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor narrowed his eyes. "You mean... do you mean this old man?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head.
"So Imperial Dust's prejudice against the God Realm and the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom lies here." The Second Confucian Ancestor understood in his heart. "The God Realm is the Ancestor Realm left by the Human Ancestor, and indeed contains many incomprehensible mysteries. But that is all."
"This old man must remind you once more: In that battle eighty thousand years ago, you seized the Nether Kingdom and placed it in the Guixu. Yet the Nether Ancestor faction took no action. This is unreasonable."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "How does the Confucian Ancestor explain this?"
"There is only one explanation: the Nether Ancestor is in the Wuding Divine Sea, or in the Guixu. Therefore, to her, the Nether Kingdom was never lost," said the Second Confucian Ancestor.
Zhang Ruochen's face showed no ripples. He stood up and bowed to the Second Confucian Ancestor.
Surprise appeared on the Second Confucian Ancestor's face. "Imperial Dust, what is the meaning of this? Is it because of my reminder?"
"Not for that. It is because, in the River of Time, the Confucian Ancestor once saved me. Whatever your purpose, at least for now, I owe you this bow," said Zhang Ruochen.
Back then, when Zhang Ruochen traveled to ancient times to cultivate his First-Rank Divine Path, the Second Confucian Ancestor had made a move in that era, blocking the Soul-Devouring Lamp's attack for Zhang Ruochen.
Recommend this book.