A Literary Duel at the Dragon Palace, Convincing Others with Reason

Ao Xin was consumed by rage, his dragon tail lashing against the sea surface, sending thousand-fold giant waves surging toward the perimeter of the Myriad Dao Academy like a collapsing mountain or a tsunami!

Within those waves, not only was there the immense Power of Water Essence, but it was also laced with his scorching Dragon Breath at the level of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal; water and fire intertwined, creating a terrifying force.

It was clear he intended to give these "ignorant" academy disciples a show of force, even harboring the desire to destroy the academy's perimeter and humiliate them.

Facing this attack, which felt like the wrath of heaven, Xuanjizi and the others wore solemn expressions, yet not one of them retreated.

They knew deep down that to yield now would not only bring personal shame but would also diminish the dignity of the academy and stain the reputation of the Confucian Dao!

"Form the Wanhua Guardian Formation!" Xuanjizi made a swift decision and shouted clearly.

He was the first to channel the Literary Qi within his body, his "Seeking" Literary Heart shining brilliantly as pure Literary Qi surged out from him.

It was not a scattered attack, but rather transformed into runes imbued with the conceptual realms of "Order," "Guardian," and "Neutralization," which quickly wove together in front of the group.

Elder Teng reacted with lightning speed, his aged, vine-like arms waving as green-gold Literary Qi, carrying the essence of "Benevolent Generosity," "Resilience," and "Endless Vitality," merged into the formation.

This added a deep, enduring foundation to the curtain of light formed by the runes.

Yun Xi gave her all, as her "Guardian" Literary Heart was the most compatible with this formation.

Her pristine white Literary Qi, like the purest radiance, formed the core of the light curtain, emitting a firm will that would not be violated.

Jin Li, Mingxin, Yun Su, and the other disciples present also took action, their various colors of Literary Qi converging.

Following the principles of the formation they practiced daily.

They quickly constructed a massive, translucent light curtain around the academy's perimeter, with countless tiny characters and runes of reason flowing endlessly—the Wanhua Guardian Formation!

This formation was not merely an energy barrier; its core relied on everyone's Literary Heart to draw upon the Literary Qi of the Earth Vein, creating a temporary domain that emphasized the principles of "Order" and "Guardian."

No sooner said than done, the giant waves and Dragon Breath driven by Ao Xin slammed fiercely into the Wanhua light curtain!

"BOOM—!!!"

A deafening roar exploded between the sea and the sky!

The violent power of water and fire collided fiercely with the upright and peaceful Literary Radiance Dao Charm; light flashed, energy surged, and a massive crater was blasted into the sea, with water vapor rising and filling the air!

However, the scene of the light curtain shattering and the academy disciples being routed, as expected, did not occur.

The seemingly soft light curtain, at the moment of impact, saw its flowing runes of reason suddenly flare up, as if countless scholars were simultaneously expounding the true meanings of "Stability," "Stillness," "Control," and "Harmony."

The violent waves crashed against the light curtain, but their destructive power was rapidly decomposed, channeled, and neutralized by the layered structures of reason!

The scorching Dragon Breath struck the light curtain like fire thrown into a deep pool; though it stirred ripples, it was quickly extinguished by the Literary Qi, which contained the essence of the "Moistening Nature of Water" and the "Inclusivity of Benevolence."

The light curtain fluctuated violently, flickering in and out, and Xuanjizi and the others trembled slightly, their faces turning pale as they clearly bore immense pressure, especially Xuanjizi, who was anchoring the formation.

A trace of golden blood even spilled from the corner of his mouth.

But relying on their profound understanding of reason and their firm Literary Heart, they managed to block this blow, which was strong enough to destroy mountains!

Though the light curtain fluctuated, it did not break! The academy's perimeter remained completely unscathed!

"What?!" For the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared in Ao Xin's massive dragon eyes.

Although he had not used his full strength in that strike, it was certainly not something an ordinary Golden Immortal could withstand, let alone a group of them working together using a power he could not understand—a power that appeared "weak."

"Your Highness!" Xuanjizi suppressed his churning blood, his voice remaining calm as it carried through the light curtain. "Power is not the only standard by which to measure reason!"

"If Your Highness uses force to suppress others, you may enjoy a moment of satisfaction, but force has its limits, while reason is infinite!"

"Our cultivation in the Confucian Dao focuses on clarifying reason and rectifying the heart. How is Your Highness's conduct any different from those who bully the weak? Have you not heard that 'those who follow the Dao receive much support, while those who abandon it receive little'?"

He was not merely accusing him, but once again elevating the issue to the level of "reason" versus "power," and "morality" versus "brutality."

"Eloquent and hypocritical!" Ao Xin was both shocked and angry, feeling his face had been lost. "You dare lecture me on reason just because you blocked one blow? Watch as I shatter this turtle shell of yours!"

He opened his dragon maw wide, and a phantom of a Dragon Pearl, condensing terrifying water and fire power, began to form. The surrounding space began to distort, clearly indicating he was about to use a stronger divine ability.

Just then, the aged and peaceful voice of Elder Teng rang out. He did not strengthen the formation, but instead channeled the power of his own "Benevolent Resilience" Literary Heart.

It transformed into an invisible ripple, like a spring breeze bringing rain, quietly brushing over Ao Xin and the dragon army behind him.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger." Elder Teng's voice carried a strange, soothing power. "Conflict is not the way to resolve this."

"Your Highness is a noble of the Dragon Race, with a prestigious status; why lower yourself to the level of spirits of the wilderness like us?"

"If a moment of temper leads to a greater conflict that disturbs the quiet cultivation of the Sage, I fear it would not be Your Highness's wish, nor a blessing for the Dragon Palace. Why not both take a step back, and the sea and sky will be vast?"

These words, seemingly humble, were actually a way of advancing by retreating. They pointed out Ao Xin's status, reminded him of the consequences, and linked "yielding" to "a vast sea and sky."

It implied the principle that "taking a step back is not cowardice, but wisdom."

The ripple of Literary Qi, containing the power of "Benevolence," quietly influenced some of the dragon soldiers with wavering resolve, causing their killing intent to diminish slightly.

At the same time, Yun Xi also gathered her courage, infusing the power of her "Guardian" Literary Heart into her voice: "Our academy stands here only to spread the Dao; we have no conflict with the beings of the East Sea."

"If Your Highness can treat us with courtesy, our academy is willing to return that courtesy. Why must we resort to weapons?"

Her words were simple and sincere, representing the academy's original heart of wishing to avoid conflict.

Xuanjizi, Elder Teng, and Yun Xi, each in their own way—arguing based on reason, overcoming hardness with softness, or honestly expressing their intentions—all centered around the core of "Reason" and "Etiquette."

They did not unleash fierce offensive divine abilities, but instead used Literary Qi to support the formation's defense and used words of reason to dissolve the opponent's offensive. This was the essence of the Confucian Dao's "Literary Battle"—to control methods with reason and to win people over with virtue.

Ao Xin's movement of condensing the Dragon Pearl could not help but falter.

He felt the resilience of the opponent's defense and heard those words that seemed peaceful yet struck directly at his Original Heart, especially Elder Teng's remark about "disturbing the Sage's quiet cultivation."

It was like a basin of cold water, cooling his blazing rage slightly. He remembered his father's warnings and the Primordial Chaos Sage behind these people, a figure whom even a strike from the Dao Ancestor could not overcome.

If he were to truly start a massive fight here, regardless of the outcome, the consequences of thoroughly offending a Primordial Chaos Sage were something he, a prince of the Dragon Race, could never bear.

The fact that the other side had only defended and reasoned thus far, without launching a true counterattack, was already giving him a way out.

His dragon eyes flickered as he weighed the pros and cons in his heart.

To continue the forceful assault might not quickly break that strange curtain of light, and could instead invite unpredictable consequences;

To retreat now, while losing some face, would at least maintain the superficial pretext of a "Sea Patrol," leaving room for maneuver in the future.

"Hmph!" Ao Xin finally dispersed the phantom of the Dragon Pearl. His hundred-zhang dragon body retreated slightly, churning the seawater. His voice remained cold, but it lacked some of its previous killing intent. "You lot certainly have silver tongues!

I will remember today's events! It is not yet your place to set the rules here in the East Sea! Let's go!"

In the end, he did not dare to completely tear off the mask of civility. After dropping his harsh words, he flicked his dragon tail, stirred up the remaining waves, and led his equally shaken Dragon Race honor guard.

They turned around and retreated toward the deep sea in a rather disheveled manner. The monstrous arrogance they had arrived with had now largely dissipated.

Watching the Dragon Race procession depart, Xuanjizi and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew the Wanhua Guardian Formation. Everyone's aura was fluctuating, clearly having expended a great deal of energy.

"Though we convinced them with reason, it was still built upon a foundation of strength."

Xuanjizi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said in a deep voice, "Without the guardian formation and the deterrent of the Sage's reputation, today would have been difficult to resolve peacefully. We must continue to cultivate even more diligently!"

This "battle of words" allowed them to avoid direct conflict through logic and formations, barely upholding the dignity of the academy, but they had also truly felt the gap in strength between themselves and the top powers of the Primordial World.

This was not the end, but a beginning. The probing from the Dragon Race would certainly not stop here.

After this incident, the desire for power and the commitment to reason became even clearer and more urgent in the hearts of the Myriad Dao Academy disciples.