A Lonely Enlightenment

After Li Xiuchang had a rough understanding of the Preaching Ranking, he felt it was like a cultivation-themed online Q&A platform. Everyone wore a disguise and dared to speak their minds without any worries.

However…

"Can no one really see through the true identities behind everyone's titles? Since the Preaching Ranking is a treasure of Immortal Artifact grade, it should have an owner, right? Can't the owner of the Preaching Ranking do it?"

"You don't need to worry about that," Zhang Wanzhi said with a smile. "Actually, the Preaching Ranking wasn't as active as it is now. It all started thousands of years ago when an elder of the Immortal Dust Sect lost the key to the Preaching Ranking."

"The Preaching Ranking has a key?"

"Yes, this Confucian Treasure, the Preaching Ranking, is very special. It cannot be claimed as one's own; only a key can control it. Back when the key was still here, everyone spoke more cautiously within the Preaching Ranking. But ever since it became known that the key to the Preaching Ranking was lost, it became dozens of times livelier within a few days. Everyone's posts became bolder, and the experiences and insights they shared became increasingly bizarre..."

As he spoke, Zhang Wanzhi couldn't help but smile.

"In short, no matter how much I say, it's not as good as experiencing it yourself. If you're interested, junior brother, why not disguise yourself and go take a look?"

"I can recommend a few seniors on the ranking who are powerful beings skilled in creating cultivation techniques and secret arts. You can seek their help and try your luck."

Zhang Wanzhi took out paper and pen and wrote down more than ten titles for Li Xiuchang.

Li Xiuchang looked at these titles: "I Sell Roast Duck in the Sect," "This Daoist is Not Wordy," "Wicked Disciple Reverses Heavenly Dipper," "Domineering Arrogant Heaven"...

What were these?

Was Senior Brother Zhang sure he wasn't just writing randomly?

Li Xiuchang put away the slips of paper, nodded his thanks, and prepared to visit the Preaching Ranking.

After seeing off the three senior brothers, Li Xiuchang changed his hairstyle and put on a few more layers of clothes to make himself appear bulkier. Then, he took his Flying Boat to the Preaching Ranking.

He didn't know many people in the Immortal Dust Sect, so the chance of being recognized was extremely small.

Li Xiuchang didn't expect to find a suitable secret art for concealing his cultivation this time. However, he was quite curious about the Preaching Ranking, mainly wanting to experience its marvel and see if it could help with the increase of his length.

As for seeking a secret art to conceal his cultivation, that was just a side matter.

As soon as Li Xiuchang left the Eastern Geng District, Zhang Wanzhi and Mo Tu broke into number thirty-two in the Eastern Geng District.

They easily passed through the Courtyard Protection Array. Zhang Wanzhi shouted, "Chen the Turtle!"

No one answered.

"Stop playing dead, old turtle..."

The two went straight into the house and pushed open the door to the first-floor cultivation room. They saw a young man with a refined and elegant appearance sitting on a meditation cushion. He had his eyes lightly closed, unmoving, as steady as a pine tree, with a detached aura of having experienced the vicissitudes of time and washed away all superficiality.

Mo Tu glanced and said lightly, "A clone."

"Old man, you're really good at hiding," Zhang Wanzhi said, grabbing the young man in front of him and shaking him. "Come out quickly, I need to talk to you!"

The young man, confirmed to be a clone, slowly opened his eyes. The depths of his eyes were as calm as a still well, and his tone was devoid of any fluctuation. "It's the same whether you tell me or not."

"We've known each other for thousands of years. Is it that hard to see you? If you can't explain it in a few words, have your real body come out quickly. It's been centuries since we last gathered. Let's have a drink together today."

"If not everyone is here, we won't gather. Please state your business. I, this Daoist, am not as exceptionally gifted as you fellow Daoists, and I cannot bear to waste a single moment that would delay my cultivation."

Zhang Wanzhi pouted. He didn't bother with the clone anymore and went upstairs in a few steps, heading straight for a metal cage.

The metal cage was pitch black and exuded a cold glint, appearing quite extraordinary. Heavy formations were also arranged around the cage, protecting it layer upon layer.

And locked inside the cage was a small turtle the size of a palm.

As soon as the small turtle saw Zhang Wanzhi, its beady eyes suddenly burst with light, filled with excitement.

It shook its head and seemed to want to say something but couldn't. Even its spiritual sense transmission was blocked by the formations. Its eyes showed a pleading look.

Zhang Wanzhi curled his lips. "Old turtle, if you don't come out, I'm going to break the formation."

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure appeared out of thin air in the corner, sighing, "What's the point of this?"

Looking at Chen Changsheng, who appeared in the corner, Zhang Wanzhi didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Mo Tu beside him and asked, "Real or fake?"

Mo Tu carefully examined Chen Changsheng and nodded.

Chen Changsheng gave a wry smile. "Do you two fellow Daoists not trust me this much?"

"We really don't trust you... Come with us to the Preaching Ranking. We'll explain the specifics on the way."

Zhang Wanzhi threw down the substitute in his hand and pulled Chen Changsheng to leave.

However, Mo Tu stopped Chen Changsheng, his eyes filled with suspicion as he looked at the two Chen Changshengs from side to side.

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng shook his head. "I still can't hide it from fellow Daoist Mo. I incorporated the 'Anti-Mo Tu, Anti-Divination Technique' into my substitute art, yet you still saw through it. Can you tell me how you did it?"

"What do you mean? This is also a substitute?" Zhang Wanzhi looked at Chen Changsheng in surprise.

Just then, a third Chen Changsheng appeared in the corner, smiling foolishly. "Please don't be offended, fellow Daoist. I was just trying out my new spell."

Mo Tu sneered. "Stop pretending. This is the real body."

He pointed at the first Chen Changsheng they had initially identified as fake.

The expressions on all three Chen Changshengs' faces froze simultaneously. Then, they sighed, "Fellow Daoist Mo has sharp eyes. It seems my clone technique still needs improvement."

With that, the three Chen Changshengs merged into one.

Zhang Wanzhi cursed, "You're a multi-headed turtle. No one knows which head you're poking out is real or fake. Only Old Mo can deal with you."

Chen Changsheng wasn't annoyed and said with a smile, "Let's go quickly. That young friend has probably already reached the Preaching Ranking."

"You already know?" Zhang Wanzhi asked in surprise.

"A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. Although I've been in seclusion for a long time, I still need to observe the outside world occasionally to ensure its safety."

"This is the Preaching Ranking?"

Li Xiuchang gazed at the magnificent, towering wall before him. Its surface was white, but it was adorned with a massive mural.

At the edge of the mural, a lifelike ink painting depicted a scene from everyday life: an elderly scholar in a Confucian robe held a scroll and lectured to a crowd gathered before him. The crowd included toddling children, street beggars, middle-aged women, elderly men, merchants, successful scholars, and even noble scions...

Li Xiuchang stared at the painting, his mind unconsciously immersed in it. It was as if the voice of the old man in the painting, speaking words of wisdom, echoed in his ears, making him feel a sense of enlightenment, yet he couldn't quite grasp what he had understood.

He had understood nothing.

In short, his scalp tingled, and he felt like his brain was about to grow.

Li Xiuchang was stunned for a long time before snapping back to reality. He quickly averted his gaze, finding the painting unnerving; just looking at it seemed to waste several minutes of his life.

In the center of the mural, two lists were written in strong, vigorous characters, one on the left and one on the right.

On the left was the "Grand Preaching Ranking," and on the right was the "Annual Preaching Ranking."

Both lists only recorded the top ten names.

Li Xiuchang stared at the titles on the lists and fell into a daze.

He finally confirmed that the titles Senior Brother Zhang Wanzhi had given him were not made up at all; in fact, those titles were quite conservative.