The Sword of Benevolence

The practice here centers on the word "heart."

If the heart and mind do not reach the required state, even if countless divine arts are laid out before one, it is difficult to even enter the door; no amount of diligence will be of any use.

Conversely, if the heart and mind reach that state, even if one only practices basic methods, over time, one can reach an extremely high realm.

Of course, there is another type: those whose temperament is transcendent and who possess various divine arts. This type is nearly invincible.

This concept is, in this world, something akin to common knowledge.

But common knowledge is just that—knowledge; knowing it does not mean one can achieve it.

There is a situation where one understands the principles, but that is all it is—understanding.

Thus, Zhou Yu knew that Zhao Cheng's joke was entirely based on reality.

And precisely because it was based on reality, the verbal strike was all the more ruthless, truly a "fatal blow."

However, Zhou Yu still stubbornly retorted, "It's not me, stop spouting nonsense. The heavens may grow old, the earth may wither, but my love is eternal."

Zhao Cheng laughed, "I know that. Love doesn't disappear; it only shifts. A month ago, you called Yui your wife; half a month ago, you called Mai your wife; now you want to marry the senior student. You are still you—truly, my love is eternal..."

Hearing this, Zhou Yu stammered, unable to think of a way to continue his stubborn defense.

Zhou Yu, in terms of talent for cultivation, is actually not bad. Coupled with his naturally robust physique, he possesses innate divine strength and is a seed for cultivation.

It is just that he is too young and his focus is unfixed, which drags down his progress.

The first realm of cultivation is called Quietude, a process of purifying the mind.

In ancient times, when the path of cultivation was not yet popularized, some people would spend most of their lives studying, pursuing scholarship, understanding principles, and cultivating themselves and their families. Then, upon reaching middle age, they would suddenly obtain the methods of cultivation and could instantly leap past the first realm.

Of course, before awakening his memories, Zhao Cheng's mind was actually even more cluttered than Zhou Yu's.

After all, he was a youth; few young people can truly settle their minds.

In his past life, Zhao Cheng only achieved mental stability after graduating and enduring several years of harsh reality in society.

Such life experience is undoubtedly an advantage, especially for cultivation in this world.

Time spent chatting always passes quickly.

Ding-a-ling!

As the bell rang, the noise in the classroom suddenly fell silent, then transformed into whispers, like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

It was not until the teacher walked into the classroom that it became completely quiet.

This atmosphere of movement followed by stillness, combined with the sunlight outside the window and the scent of books, always provided Zhao Cheng with a sense of spiritual nourishment.

In a sense, this is also a form of nourishing the spirit.

However, this only works for special individuals like Zhao Cheng; other students have not experienced the harsh beatings of society and do not know the value of such tranquility.

After physics comes history; in this world, the arts and sciences are not separated.

The reason for this is nothing other than the pursuit of comprehensive mental development.

Without investigating things, one cannot know the truth; without knowing history, one cannot inherit virtue!

Mathematics, physics, and chemistry reveal true knowledge; politics, history, and geography carry morality.

The former teaches the principles of how the world operates—once learned, one will not be superstitious. The latter, understanding the past and knowing the present, allows one to comprehend the operational changes of society.

In this world, the widely practiced cultivation is the core. If the heart is not upright, one cannot succeed; if the heart is not sincere, one cannot succeed. Therefore, they naturally would not walk on only one leg.

As for the specialized division of knowledge, that is a matter for university; the high school stage focuses more on the cultivation of character.

Compared to the precise knowledge of physics, Zhao Cheng spent history class in a state of long-term mental wandering, listening only intermittently, yet he could still gain something by the end of the lesson.

And Zhao Cheng himself has an interest in history.

After all, the history of this world, since the Shang Dynasty, has presented a form of intersecting, changing hyperbolas compared to the history of his past life.

There are many similar people and objects, yet there are also many differences.

For instance, during the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius traveled to various states, lifting city gates with one hand, his courage surpassing all.

The most crucial point was that such a formidable master went to reason with people, not to compete in martial prowess.

Even now, the museums in Luoyang and Qufu still preserve the giant sword that Confucius wore while traveling between states.

A thousand years later, that giant sword still retains the master's sword intent of "Benevolence."

Later, when the Qin unified the world, the First Emperor was even more peerless in his divine arts, his Emperor Sword Technique dividing the nine provinces, invincible wherever his blade passed.

Yet after the fall of Qin, it was not the Han that inherited the nine provinces, but the Chu.

In his past life, individual martial power could hardly sway the outcome of a war, but this world is different.

However, within thirty years of the death of the Chu Ancestor, the Chu state went through six emperors, and finally, Liu Guangzu, who rose from humble beginnings, swept across the world with a three-foot sword and founded the Han Dynasty.

The various changes within—looking at the history of one world alone might not seem very interesting, but when comparing the two worlds, it is absolutely fascinating.

Zhao Cheng does not know the principle behind it; even though history changes so much, there are always similar people who "correct" history, ensuring that the history here is not completely unrecognizable since the Shang Dynasty.

Zhao Cheng can only guess with his amateur knowledge from his past life: is it due to interference from parallel universes or something similar?

That the two worlds are connected is beyond doubt, because the existence of Zhao himself is the greatest connection visible before his eyes.

If the two worlds were completely unrelated, he could never have transmigrated here.

But to say the connection was tight—from his perspective, no matter how tight it was, it remained an infinitely distant gap, for he lacked the ability to cross it.

On the podium, the teacher possessed a profound grasp of history. He did not simply recite from the textbook; instead, he wove small anecdotes into the historical narrative, occasionally leaping through time to connect people and events from different eras into a cohesive whole.

Even with such a teaching style, it never felt chaotic, but rather methodical—a performance that undoubtedly showcased his brilliance.

In this lesson, the teacher was covering modern history, speaking of how, after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng obtained the legacy of the First Emperor. He campaigned across the land, drove out the northern invaders, and at the Shanhai Pass, struck down Huang Taiji with five sword strikes, pinning him to the Wolf-Suppressing Stone, where his blood dripped for three days and three nights before finally drying.

The teacher spoke with vivid flair, at times sounding more like a storyteller, as if he had been there to witness the events himself.

It is worth noting that the teacher's surname was Li.

As for Zhao Cheng, his focus was not on Li Zicheng killing Huang Taiji, but on the detail of the blood dripping for three days and three nights.

In his past life, this would undoubtedly have been an exaggerated claim for a story, but in this world, it was clearly just a realistic account.

A man like Huang Taiji possessed vitality pushed to the extreme; even after being killed, his body would continue to produce blood, so dripping for three days and three nights was by no means an exaggeration.