Undercurrents in the Alliance, Unity of Knowledge and Action

The silence in the Crystal Palace of the Dragon Race was not a true calm, but rather a deeper, more oppressive tension before a storm.

In the face of an absolute gap in strength, both Dragon King Ao Guang and the Turtle Prime Minister understood that the Dragon Race alone no longer had the power to oppose Sage Wanhua.

Yet, how could they easily swallow the pride of having dominated the East Sea for billions of years, alongside their deep-seated blood feud?

They cast their gaze toward the Primordial Continent, toward those forces that were equally ancient and potentially held conflicting interests with the Myriad Dao Academy.

Dragon Palace Secret Envoy, Contacting Old Acquaintances

On this day, the most hidden passage of the Dragon Palace opened quietly. Several figures, their auras completely masked by secret treasures, carried Ao Guang's handwritten secret letters and heavy gifts from the Dragon Palace treasury.

They snuck away in two separate directions: one headed for the Immortal Volcano at the southern end of the continent, and the other toward the region of the Buzhou Mountain Ruins in the central lands.

Their targets were the Phoenix Race and the Qilin Clan!

The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin races were once the masters of the Primordial World. Although they had suffered heavy losses after surviving the Great Calamity.

Having retreated from the stage of hegemony, their foundations remained, and they still possessed immense influence within their respective territories.

More importantly, like the Dragon Race, they represented the most "ancient" order of the Primordial World.

Toward a "new sage" like Wanhua, who had risen suddenly with a vastly different Dao Lineage and a domineering style of conduct, they naturally harbored vigilance and exclusion.

In his secret letters, Ao Guang did not directly mention revenge. Instead, under the guise of "upholding the ancient order of the Primordial World and discussing how to deal with the changing situation," he bitterly complained about the impact of the Myriad Dao Academy's "Education for All" on the existing power structure.

He painted Sage Wanhua as a "dangerous" figure with "cruel methods who treats all living beings like blades of grass," attempting to reignite the Phoenix and Qilin races' attachment to their past glory and their fear of unknown threats.

He hinted that if the three races could join forces once more, even if they could not confront the sage head-on, they would possess more say in future shifts and could curb the infinite expansion of this "anomaly."

This was a risky move, but one that had to be taken. The Dragon Race was attempting to weave an invisible web of resistance by leveraging the power of their former rivals.

Phoenix Race Scrutinizes, Qilin Clan Weighs

Deep within the Immortal Volcano, at the core of flowing lava, the current matriarch of the Phoenix Race received the Dragon Race's secret letter. A flash of mockery and deep thought crossed her golden phoenix eyes, which burned with eternal fire.

"That old loach Ao Guang actually has a day where he bows his head to ask for help?" Her voice was clear and elegant, carrying the unique arrogance of a phoenix. "However, this Wanhua... is indeed an anomaly."

"His Dao is not innate, his methods emphasize humanities, and if this continues, it might truly shake the status we, the innate Gods and Devils, hold in such high esteem."

She summoned the clan elders to deliberate. Some elders believed the Dragon Race had ulterior motives and wanted to drag the Phoenix Race into the water;

Others believed that the philosophy of the Myriad Dao Academy was in potential conflict with the Phoenix Race's innate control over fire and their laws of nobility and independence, making it worthy of vigilance;

Still others suggested that perhaps they could use this opportunity to contact the new sage and see if they could find a new path for the Phoenix Race after the Great Calamity.

In the end, the Phoenix Race decided not to form an alliance with the Dragon Race for the time being, but they would strengthen their observation of the situation in the East Sea and consider sending secret envoys to contact the academy under other pretenses to observe.

Meanwhile, near the Buzhou Mountain Ruins, in the Pure Land of Auspiciousness where the Qilin Clan lived in seclusion, the Qilin Clan Chief remained in long silence after reading the letter.

The Qilin Clan symbolized auspiciousness and governed the peace of the earth, possessing a more benevolent and steady nature.

"The disaster of the Dragon Race stems from their own arrogance and their offense against the sage's might. To suffer such a calamity is also the cycle of the Heavenly Dao."

The Qilin Clan Chief said slowly, "However, the Dao of Sage Wanhua emphasizes 'Order' and 'Education'."

"His power can nourish things silently, yet it can also be as thunderous as a storm. Whether this variable is a blessing or a curse for the Primordial World remains to be seen."

The Qilin Clan also rejected the Dragon Race's proposal for an immediate alliance, but they decided to enter the world with a more proactive attitude, sending clansmen to walk the Primordial World.

They would observe the impact of the spread of the Confucian Dao on all beings and the Earth Veins of the Primordial World more closely before making a decision.

They preferred to play the role of an adjuster and observer rather than being directly drawn into the conflict.

The Dragon Palace's alliance concept suffered an initial setback; the Phoenix and Qilin races each had their own calculations and did not easily take the bait.

But these secret contacts between the three races and their increased focus on the Myriad Dao Academy undoubtedly cast several far-reaching stones into the undercurrents of the Primordial World.

Academy Teaches the Dao, Unity of Knowledge and Action

While the outside world was changing, the teaching and instruction within the academy entered a deeper stage.

Sage Wanhua began to impart a crucial philosophy of Confucian Dao cultivation to his core disciples who had already stabilized their Literary Palace—the Unity of Knowledge and Action.

"Knowledge is the beginning of action, and action is the completion of knowledge." Wanhua expounded in the Hall of Discussing the Dao. "You all read scriptures and understand principles in the academy, condensing your Literary Heart and constructing your Literary Palace; this is 'knowledge'."

"However, if you only know but do not act, the principles are but castles in the air, and your Literary Qi is but stagnant water."

"Only by practicing the Dao you have realized, and applying it to worldly affairs, can you verify the principles, solidify your Literary Heart, and make your Literary Qi lively and vibrant; this is 'action'."

He did not teach new divine abilities, but emphasized a fundamental attitude toward cultivation.

He encouraged his disciples not to merely practice in seclusion, but to be brave in applying what they had learned to solve practical problems, honing their character and testing the principles through practice.

To this end, he even demarcated a "Trial Zone" on the outskirts of the academy, simulating various complex scenarios, such as governing a small patch of barren land to restore its vitality.

They mediated conflicts between different groups of living beings, dealt with sudden small-scale natural disasters, and even simulated skirmishes with enemies of different attributes.

Xuanjizi led a group of disciples to attempt, for the first time, to govern a simulated saline-alkali wasteland using Confucian methods.

They did not use powerful divine abilities to force a transformation, but instead used their Literary Qi to perceive the Earth Veins and analyze the causes of the barrenness.

Then, under the guidance of Elder Teng, the disciples condensed characters containing the principles of "vitality" and "nourishment," integrating them into the soil.

At the same time, disciples like Jin Li used their Literary Qi to dredge the clogged water veins beneath the ground, while Yun Xi set up a small Wenhua Formation to stabilize the environment.

The entire process, though slow, was orderly and firm. A few days later, that barren land actually revealed a faint trace of green!

All the participating disciples felt their Literary Hearts become more solid, and their understanding of principles such as "benevolence," "life," and "order" had deepened significantly.

This was the initial practice of the Unity of Knowledge and Action. Xuanjizi deeply felt the wonder of this method, as it made cultivation no longer a vague and ethereal realization.

Instead, it was closely integrated with concrete actions, ensuring that principles were no longer just words in books, but had transformed into a power capable of tangibly changing the world.

The hidden move was set, exerting a subtle influence.

Within the academy, after hearing the philosophy of the Unity of Knowledge and Action, a flash of extremely bright brilliance crossed the eyes of Huiming.

He took the initiative to participate in several practices in the Trial Zone, especially when mediating simulated tribal conflicts, where he cited classics and spoke with a gentle and wise demeanor.

He was often able to strike at the heart of the matter and effectively resolve disputes, his performance even earning the admiration of Xuanjizi.

This philosophy actually shares a similar destination with my Way of the West... Huiming pondered inwardly, his favor and desire to explore the Confucian Dao deepening further.

He did not notice that the rhythm of his own Western Daoist techniques was quietly undergoing an extremely subtle assimilation and transformation under the subtle influence of the academy's Wenhua and the practice of "knowledge and action."

Meanwhile, the spies of the Demon Race who were "enlightened" on the periphery also transmitted the philosophy of the Unity of Knowledge and Action and what they had seen in the Trial Zone back to their superiors.

Bai Ze attached great importance to this, believing that it revealed the essence of the Confucian Dao, which valued not only theory but also practice and the construction of Order, suggesting its potential influence might be even greater than anticipated.

The situation in the Primordial World, amidst the secret maneuvering of the Dragon Palace, the cautious weighing of ancient races, and the promotion of the academy's own "knowledge and action" philosophy, became even more subtle and complex.

Myriad Dao Academy was like a tree that was constantly growing; its roots were digging deeper, while its branches and leaves, driven by the Unity of Knowledge and Action, began to attempt to stretch toward a broader world.

The various forces hidden in the shadows were like vines and observers surrounding the tree; some attempted to bind it, some attempted to borrow its strength, and others were silently recording its every growth.

The seeds of the storm had already been sown, waiting only for the right moment to break through the soil.