One's Own Path

Xu Feng transformed into Yuanfang and activated his sycophant mode, yet Huang Shang knew full well that things were not nearly as exaggerated as they seemed.

Although Yang God was of a much higher tier than Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, he currently possessed no foundation whatsoever.

To suggest that one could comprehend some peerless cultivation technique after reading the Dao Scripture for a single day was nothing but a fairy tale.

Fortunately, compared to the real Huang Shang, he possessed one major advantage.

Vision and perspective.

Many reincarnators entered ancient worlds, mistakenly believing themselves to be far more intelligent than the ancients.

In reality, that was not intelligence, but a gap in perspective caused by the difference in eras.

That was the case now; Huang Shang had not only inherited the peerless talent of Huang Shang but also understood the disparity in the primordial qi of heaven and earth.

He never expected to walk the path of soul cultivation directly through the Dao Scripture.

The external conditions did not permit it, and to stubbornly believe one could create miracles was simply foolish.

However, he could absorb the knowledge within it.

The primordial qi of heaven and earth might differ, but knowledge was universal.

Especially regarding the study of the human body and the perception of the soul.

Thus, while reading, Huang Shang had been constantly attempting to sense his own soul.

This was difficult.

Martial arts experts could look inward at their internal organs, meridians, and acupoints, but the difficulty of grasping the movements of the soul was more than doubled.

Because the former was tangible and truly existed, while the latter was ethereal.

Huang Shang attempted to apply the various theories of the Dao Scripture to gain insight, and in the end...

He still failed to sense it.

Yet, during this process, he had other gains, feeling another force lingering around his body.

It was an illusory power, different from physical strength and different from the blood and qi within his body.

Was it spirit?

That did not seem entirely accurate.

Holding the mindset of making bold hypotheses and seeking verification with caution, Huang Shang followed his intuition, picked up a brush, and wrote on the paper:

"As heaven's movement is ever vigorous, so must a gentleman ceaselessly strive."

That force truly became clear, even manifesting a trace of external presence.

"This can be named the Literary Qi of a scholar!"

Huang Shang felt joy in his heart and gave it a name.

He did not even know what he had cultivated.

Perhaps, this was what it meant to be a big shot.

But it was not hard to guess.

The massive amount of foundational knowledge in the Dao Scripture allowed him to understand what cultivation was and, in turn, recognize himself more clearly.

Compared to other reincarnators and plot characters, what made him different?

Learning!

Integrity and intelligence constitute divinity; as long as a scholar's heart is upright and clear, they can also become powerful.

The spirit of a scholar could be called Literary Qi.

This was his power.

On the other side, Xu Feng's ox-eyes widened, and he did not forget to report to Xu Yue, whose eyes shimmered with brilliance upon hearing the news.

The reason she did not want Huang Shang to learn the martial arts of this world was also out of fear that this grandmaster would be limited to the path of low-level martial arts, requiring a great price to break free from those limitations in the future.

She had not expected this surprise to arrive so quickly.

"Huang Shang is not the protagonist and cannot enjoy that series of powerful fortuitous encounters, but his talent is far stronger than that of an ordinary protagonist!"

"It doesn't matter if there are no fortuitous encounters; let us become your fortuitous encounter!"

"Xu Feng, guard him; the first time one cultivates is the most important, do not let it be interrupted under any circumstances!"

Indeed, after condensing the first strand of Literary Qi with the line about heaven's vigor, Huang Shang did not stop; after a brief moment of brewing, he continued to write furiously.

Lines of Three Academies Regular Script leaped onto the paper.

If it were before, while this script was square and clean, it would have been somewhat stiff and rigid, as it was intended for examinations.

But at this moment, it possessed a touch of spirituality.

These were no longer just characters, but the first application of Literary Qi.

The power of a scholar was certainly not meant for combat as its primary purpose.

Instead, he used it for scholarship.

At this moment, Huang Shang felt a surge of literary inspiration.

His own existing knowledge, combined with the meticulous guidance Master Hengqu had provided during this time, faintly coalesced into a river, flowing through his mind.

With a flash of sudden insight, he continued writing, completing the Eight Trigrams of the Book of Changes:

"The earth's terrain is yielding; the superior man, with deep virtue, supports all things."

"Following the wind, the superior man repeats his commands and carries out his affairs."

"Thunder shakes the earth; the superior man, in fear and dread, cultivates and reflects."

"Goodness is like water; the superior man plans his affairs from the beginning."

"Fire brings people together; the superior man distinguishes between groups and classifies things."

"Walking on the marsh; the superior man distinguishes the people and settles their ambitions."

"The mountain is modest; the superior man reduces the excess and increases the deficient."

Ever since Confucius praised the Book of Changes, it had been revered by the Confucian school as a sacred classic, the foremost of the Six Classics.

These eight sentences were not merely trigrams; they were principles for living, for discerning advantage and harm, knowing when to advance or retreat, and grasping the secrets of heaven.

Of course, from these eight trigrams, one could derive the sixty-four hexagrams, but Huang Shang did not succumb to greed; he wrote these eight repeatedly.

Heaven, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Water, Fire, Mountain, Marsh!

Once the first sheet was finished, Huang Shang pondered for a moment before spreading out a second.

By the time he reached the fifth sheet, the Literary Qi within his body flowed through the tip of his brush and into the paper.

Those eight sentences actually began to emit an imperceptible luster.

However, Huang Shang, fully immersed in his work, did not notice the fine wrinkle forming at the corner of his eye.

The total investment of his essence, energy, and spirit was ultimately placing a tremendous burden on his body.

If this continued, his lifespan would be significantly shortened.

Xu Feng's expression changed: "This is bad. His constitution is still that of an ordinary person, and the heaven and earth energy in this world is too thin. Without external supplementation, he cannot withstand this."

Hearing this, Xu Yue made a prompt decision: "Feed him a Vermilion Fruit."

Xu Feng felt a twinge of jealousy: "You're treating him even better than your own brother!"

Though he grumbled, a star lit up in his palm, and a fragrant spiritual fruit immediately appeared.

Xu Feng flicked his finger, sending it directly into Huang Shang's mouth.

Compared to the inheritance of the Yang God world, although the Vermilion Fruit was a rare treasure, it was worth no more than three hundred Reincarnation Points.

Since they had already invested the bulk of their resources, there was no reason to be stingy with the small stuff.

The Vermilion Fruit melted upon contact, and a trickle of warmth flowed down his esophagus, spreading from his stomach to his internal organs, and finally permeating his limbs and bones.

Huang Shang felt his spirit lift, the wrinkle at the corner of his eye slowly vanished, and his brush danced like a dragon or snake.

The sixth sheet.

The seventh sheet.

Finally, the tenth sheet was completed. As Huang Shang stopped in a state of exhilaration, the brush snapped with a crisp sound, but the final sheet of coarse paper was already faintly wreathed in a spiritual glow.

All eight sentences had been infused with Literary Qi.

"I need a brush—a brush capable of bearing Literary Qi."

Huang Shang set down the broken brush and looked at the characters on the paper, revealing heartfelt joy.

He finally possessed a power best suited to himself.

From this day forward, he would no longer be a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken.

Every bit of progress in his scholarship could drive an improvement in his own strength.

The path of a historical scholar could also achieve great things.

Struggling to suppress the joy in his heart, Huang Shang looked at Xu Feng on the bed and bowed: "Many thanks, Brother Xu!"

Xu Feng grinned: "No need for that. It's all for the Great Song empire, the Great Song empire..."

After saying this, Xu Feng felt that if favorability were measured out of one hundred points, he must have at least twenty or thirty now, so he could ask about that important matter: "Those four sentences about 'establishing peace for all generations' are truly excellent. How did you come up with them?"

That was a very blunt question.

Huang Shang sweated silently and showed a look of reverence: "My mentor, Master Hengqu, takes the Book of Changes as his foundation, the Doctrine of the Mean as his substance, the Rites as his application, and Confucius and Mencius as his model. These four sentences were inspired by him; it is what a Confucian scholar ought to do."

His words were ambiguous; it sounded as if he had only come up with the four sentences because of Master Hengqu's inspiration, yet it also sounded as if he only had the four sentences because he respected Master Hengqu's scholarship.

It all depended on how one interpreted it.

It seems the space adjusted this spontaneously, and it isn't that other reincarnators have set their sights on Huang Shang.

Xu Feng only knew how to grunt in response, while Xu Yue breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, deciding not to make an appearance.

With Xu Feng there, it was already enough.

One in the light and one in the dark would make it much easier to act.

In view of this, she gave Xu Feng a few instructions before her figure drifted outward.

Having watched Huang Shang day and night for the past few days, even with the stamina of a Star-level Reincarnator, she was somewhat exhausted.

It was time to get some proper sleep.

Returning to the guest room, Xu Yue frowned slightly and opened the window to let in some fresh air.

Due to the many secrets held by Reincarnators, they did not allow the waiter to disturb them, so after not returning for several days, the room had naturally grown stuffy.

The main inn where they were staying, Hui Xian Pavilion, was built right next to the Imperial City, yet it managed to find tranquility amidst the noise; its private rooms, in particular, were renowned for being quiet and secluded.

At this moment, as Xu Yue opened the window, she subconsciously looked toward the Great Song Imperial City.

Suddenly, her gaze sharpened.

She saw a wisp of grayish-black smoke seeping out from the cracks in the palace walls, drilling into the ground and vanishing from sight.

Besides us, there are other Reincarnators in the capital!

(Seeking recommendations and collections! The book was published too early, so I have to run naked for half a month; how miserable...)

Thanks to book friends "Qian Xiao Yi Cheng Shang," "Suan Cai Yu V," "Jiu Shi Yao Keng Ni O," "Heaven Crystal Hun Tian Treasure Mirror," "Fei Hong De Mei Ying," "Hua Shang Ren Ru Mo," "Pian Zi Shi Hao," "Chun Yang Zi Feng," "Marvel Iron Man," "Tian Xia Huo... (garbled)," and "Qiang Gou Mei Luan Qiu Sha" for their support.