Undercurrents Shift, the Academy Holds Hidden Brilliance

The news of the East Sea Dragon Palace's elite naval forces having effectively "evaporated" was like throwing a massive boulder into the seemingly calm lake of the Primordial World; the undercurrents and ripples it triggered far exceeded what was visible on the surface.

After the initial shock and silence, the various factions did not truly settle down. Instead, they adjusted their own strategies and layouts in even more covert and cautious ways.

The Dragon Palace lay dormant, hatred buried deep.

The East Sea Dragon Palace fell completely silent. The Dragon Race's ceremonial guards, who had frequently patrolled the four seas in the past, all but vanished, and even the small and medium-sized aquatic tribes that relied on the Dragon Race received strict orders to limit their range of activity and stay far away from the sea area designated as "taboo."

Inside the Crystal Palace, the former bustle and arrogance were replaced by a stifling, deathly silence.

The Dragon King Ao Guang seemed to have aged significantly overnight. He spent most of his time alone in the secret hall located in the deepest part of the Dragon Palace.

He stood silently before an ancient mural depicting the Ancestral Dragon roaming the chaos. The Ancestral Dragon on the mural was infinitely majestic, looking down upon the Primordial World with disdain; he had once been the spiritual pillar for the entire Dragon Race.

But now, Wanhua's words—"Even if the Ancestral Dragon were here in person, he would still need to show respect"—echoed in his mind like a curse, gnawing at his final shreds of pride.

Was he hateful? Naturally, the hatred went bone-deep! When had the Dragon Race ever suffered such a humiliating insult?

A crown prince thwarted, a great general along with thousands of elites turned into refined treasures with a backhanded move—this was a hatred that even the waters of the four seas could not wash away.

But beneath the hatred lay a deeper, colder fear. It was a fear that stemmed from the level of life itself, from an absolute disparity in power, an irresistible dread.

Ao Guang knew clearly that in front of a Primordial Chaos Sage, the Dragon Race's hundreds of millions of years of accumulation, their so-called heritage and pride, were all as fragile as paper. Any form of retaliation at this stage would be tantamount to seeking their own destruction.

"Endure! I must endure!"

Ao Guang whispered hoarsely to the mural, his dragon claws digging deep into the hard walls of the hall.

"Accumulate strength, wait for the opportunity... The Primordial World is vast, and the variables are infinite. There may yet come a day when my Dragon Race regains its prestige!"

He forcibly suppressed all his hatred and humiliation, transforming them into the deepest, most patient dormancy.

The Dragon Palace's resources began to tilt toward a few core disciples and secret plans, and some long-sealed, ancient secret techniques dating back to the era of the Ancestral Dragon were brought out to be studied once more.

In the shadows, they licked their wounds, accumulating a power that no one could foresee.

The Demon Race infiltrated, moistening things silently.

Compared to the extreme endurance of the Dragon Palace, the Demon Race's actions were more ingenious and flexible.

The Demon Emperor Dijun adopted the suggestion of Bai Ze and did not dispatch core members whose identities were too sensitive.

Instead, he utilized many rogue cultivators or small groups of the Demon Race who had long since integrated into various parts of the Primordial World and were themselves full of curiosity about various Daoist methods.

These Demon Race envoys did not carry hostility or a clear mission; they attempted to contact the Myriad Dao Academy either under the guise of traveling rogue cultivators or as sincere seekers of the Dao.

They no longer insisted on sneaking into the core, but instead sat in meditation in the outer "Enlightenment Zone," discussing the Dao with the academy's registered disciples.

They purchased or exchanged for talismans or artifacts that the academy allowed to circulate, which contained basic principles of literary Dao (such as the "Calming Inkstone" that could soothe the mind, or the "Spirit-Guiding Paperweight" that could gather literary Qi in a small area).

They meticulously observed the words and deeds of the academy's disciples, felt the influence of literary Qi and Dao rhymes on their temperament, and analyzed the production principles of those basic literary treasures.

These fragmented pieces of information were continuously summarized and sent to Bai Ze, who used his extraordinary wisdom to integrate and deduce them.

"Their method emphasizes 'heart,' 'reason,' and 'order,' which is vastly different from our race's path of relying on bloodlines and devouring spiritual essence."

Bai Ze reported to Dijun, "In the short term, this Dao is incompatible with our race's path of tyrannical conquest and is difficult for us to use."

"However, the power of 'order' and 'civilization' it contains has profound potential. If it can be analyzed, it might make up for our Demon Race's deficiencies in governance and uniting hearts, and perhaps even allow us to catch a glimpse of the Sage's Great Dao."

The Demon Race's strategy toward the academy shifted gradually from "vigilance and utilization" to "learning and analysis," attempting to extract nutrients from this disparate Dao lineage that they could use for themselves.

The Western contact, quietly placing a piece.

As for the rogue cultivator named "Huiming" who had passed the "Three Heart Inquiry Trials," after entering the outer academy, he appeared diligent and eager to learn, treating others with gentleness, and soon became familiar with some of the disciples.

He showed particular interest in the Confucian Dao's expositions on "temperament," "compassion," and "wisdom."

He often debated with others in the Hall of Discussing the Dao, and his viewpoints were often novel, carrying a speculative color different from the Eastern Mystic Gate.

Xuanjizi kept him under observation, confirming that he had no malicious intent and that his light of the soul seemed to grow purer under the nourishment of the academy's literary culture.

He felt slightly relieved, but still instructed the disciples who were close to him that while discussing the Dao was fine, they must maintain a sense of proportion regarding the academy's core formations, secret techniques, and the like.

This "Huiming" was precisely a person with an affinity for the West, secretly guided by Daoist Zhunti.

Zhunti did not give him orders to sabotage, but hoped that he could truly integrate into the academy and personally experience the essence of the Confucian Dao.

If possible, he even hoped to use this to establish a subtle connection with Sage Wanhua. This move was played very deeply, with long-term intentions in mind.

The academy developed, literary culture contained within.

The undercurrents of the outside world did not overly affect the vigorous development within the academy. With a relatively stable environment, Wanhua began to teach deeper levels of Confucian Dao methods.

In the "Hall of Understanding Principles," he systematically expounded for the first time on the method of constructing a "Literary Palace."

The Literary Palace was the foundation and Daoist field for a Confucian cultivator; it was not a real building, but a hall of principles constructed within one's own opened Sea of Consciousness, with one's own literary heart as the core.

Using one's understanding of principles as bricks and mortar, and will and literary Qi as the adhesive, it was a hall of principles built to last.

"The appearance of the Literary Palace varies from person to person." Wanhua's voice echoed in the hall, evolving into various visions, "It may be an academy with shelves full of scrolls; or a thatched cottage, returning to simplicity; or a majestic city with strict fortifications; or a garden full of vitality... Its form is not restricted to any one style, and its essence lies only in 'understanding principles,' 'solidifying the heart,' and 'carrying the Dao.'"

He guided his disciples on how to visualize the embryonic form of their own Literary Palace and how to channel Literary Qi and Runes of Principle to construct it.

Xuanjizi visualized a Platform of Seeking standing atop a peak amidst a gale, using it to manifest his unwavering heart of inquiry.

Elder Teng constructed a vibrant Garden of Benevolent Heart connected to all living things, while the Literary Palace of Yun Xi resembled a warm and sturdy Guardian Bastion.

Constructing a Literary Palace is a long and meticulous process, requiring a deep accumulation of Literary Qi and a profound understanding of one's own principles.

Once the Literary Palace is initially formed, not only will the Sea of Consciousness become more stable, but the ability to carry and deduce principles will be greatly enhanced.

It is also the foundation for unleashing more powerful divine abilities in the future, and even for bearing the "intent" one has established for oneself.

At the same time, more practical Confucian Dao divine abilities were added to the training schedule.

Such as the further application of Each Word a Pearl, which is no longer limited to the manifestation of a single character, but can be combined into short phrases to form stronger temporary effects.

The domain control techniques of Subtle Words, Profound Meaning; the various changing forms of Splendid Tapestry, and so on.

Within the Scripture Repository of the Academy, training notes and divine ability concepts summarized and deduced by the disciples themselves began to appear, though most were still quite rudimentary.

Yet, they signaled that the Confucian Dao system was constantly being enriched and growing in the hands of these pioneers.

Wanhua sat in command at the center, occasionally preaching, but more often allowing the disciples to explore and collide their wisdom on their own.

He watched as Xuanjizi gradually developed the demeanor of a leader, and watched as the benevolent heart of Elder Teng nourished the plants and trees of the Academy.

He watched as the protective intent of Yun Xi influenced her fellow disciples, and watched as the newly initiated disciples grew sturdily under the bathing light of Wenhua.

He knew that true inheritance did not lie in how many earth-shattering divine abilities he had taught.

It lay in whether these disciples could combine the seeds of principle he had sown with their own characteristics to nurture their own unique, vibrant fruits of the Dao.

Outside the Academy, the undercurrents remained turbulent; the hatred of the Dragon Palace, the probing of the Demon Race, and the schemes of the West had never ceased.

But within the Academy, Wenhua was contained within, and the Dao Lineage was being passed down, carving out a unique pure land in this chaotic primordial world with a steady and firm pace.

It was accumulating the foundation to meet the greater storms of the future. The mountain rain was coming, and the wind was filling the pavilion, but this pavilion was becoming increasingly solid upon its own foundation.