Ancient Myriad-Character Stele

At Book Cliff Grounds, the white stones spread across the ground gleamed beneath the sunlight.

At the cliff's edge stood a pavilion on a cloud platform.

Two masters were playing chess. The match was locked in a fierce deadlock, like armored armies clashing upon a battlefield, each attacking and killing the other.

Master Yuan wore a white robe, his face sharply defined and his body vigorous as a dragon and tiger. He looked more like a martial man than a scholar. He stared intently at the board, brows tightly furrowed, while the white piece in his hand remained suspended for a long while without falling.

"In immortal arts and divine abilities, I am no match for you. But when it comes to the eight arts of arcane gates, you will undoubtedly lose," Master Xun said calmly, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

"Do not disturb my thoughts!" Master Yuan said impatiently in a rough voice.

With that, he set down a piece. Master Xun fixed his eyes on it, then threw back his head and laughed aloud several times.

About half an incense stick later, the outcome of the match was decided.

The two renowned masters of Great Yin slowly rose to their feet and looked toward Book Cliff Grounds, where the disciples had already begun arriving one after another.

"What are you wagering this time?" Master Xun asked, his expression composed.

"How about letting me stay on the ninth floor of Rain-Listening Tower for half a day?" Master Yuan's eyes gleamed as he spoke with imposing intensity.

"After all these years, you still refuse to give up." Master Xun shot his old rival an irritated glance.

The relationship between Pursuing Sun and Shangyin was complicated. Though the founding masters of both academies refused to acknowledge the theory that Yin-Yang Literary Academy had been their origin—

The world was no longer what it had been.

As more and more ancient Daoist texts came to light, the truth drew ever closer. Just as the sages had said, the Great Dao was small; though paths differed, they all returned to the same destination.

When Master Xun and Master Yuan mentioned Yin-Yang Literary Academy, they both held their tongues, as though tacitly acknowledging it.

"The founding masters argued over it their whole lives and still reached no conclusion. Don't you want to know?" Master Yuan asked.

"If we truly wanted to get to the bottom of it, all scripts under heaven were derived from the myriad mountains and rivers of the primordial age. Trace them back to their source, and they are one family." Master Xun seemed unconcerned. His gaze shifted slightly as he spotted Xu Yan ascending Book Cliff Grounds, and he narrowed his eyes with a smile.

"A year ago, I accepted my fourteenth personal disciple. If Pursuing Sun loses this discussion of the Dao, let that disciple of mine cultivate within the Ancient Yang Spirit Vein for half a month. How about it?"

"A word is settled." Master Yuan did not dwell on it and agreed at once.

The scholars gradually all arrived and sat at the desks in two separate groups.

Quiet discussions continued throughout the grounds.

There were only a little over twenty people from Pursuing Sun Academy. Master Yuan, at their head, appeared relaxed and at ease, while the disciples behind him wore solemn expressions and did not smile.

Shen Congyun, the Great Yin Imperial Brocade Guard with an Embroidered Spring Saber at his waist, had also come. He found an empty seat and watched with great interest.

"Master Qiu, let us begin," Master Yuan said, glancing toward the seat of honor.

"Derived scripts and edict scripts, the Daoist theories of sages and worthies, yin-yang doctrines, the eight arts of arcane gates... Which path would Master Yuan like to begin with?" Qiu Yunji asked calmly.

"Then we shall begin with the most fundamental: derived scripts and edict scripts," Master Yuan said.

Whether the Daoist theories of sages and worthies or divine ability manuals, most books passed down in this world had been written in derived scripts and edict scripts.

If one could not recognize ancient script, how could one comprehend the teachings of sages and worthies?

"Good!"

Qiu Yunji nodded, then turned to Yan Qing, who was dozing beside her. "Senior Brother, bring out the Myriad-Character Stele!"

Yan Qing immediately perked up. Rising from behind the desk, he leaped into the air and landed steadily in the center of the open grounds.

"Since ancient times, countless primordial scriptures and doctrines have been passed down. They are obscure and difficult to understand. When the day of the Dragon Gate Examination comes, this will be one hurdle. Become more familiar with them now, and you will find it easier to adapt in the future."

Yan Qing spoke with rare seriousness. His ink-black robe fluttered as the five fingers within his sleeve formed a hand seal.

In an instant, invisible spiritual power swirled around him.

The scholars saw the sky above the grounds begin to distort faintly, like a great river rippling in waves—a most peculiar sight.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Before long, thunderous crashes rang out. From above the heavy clouds, an enormous black stele descended upon the wind.

The gigantic stele exuded an ancient, weathered aura. It stood twenty zhang tall and five zhang wide, densely carved with Primordial Script and Archaic Edict Script. The two were mingled together like ants and insects clinging to its surface. Merely looking at it for several breaths made one dizzy and nauseous.

It was called the Myriad-Character Stele, but it held far more than ten thousand characters!

Yan Qing's long black robe snapped in the wind. With both hands held toward the sky, he supported the colossal stele with surging spiritual power and lowered it steadily onto the grounds. "This stele is an ancient repository of script. Its changes are endless. Derived scripts and edict scripts are constantly evolving the myriad mountains, rivers, and phenomena of the primordial age. One character carries a thousand meanings. How much you can comprehend depends entirely on your own ability."

It was precisely because its transformations were endless and unfathomable as gods and ghosts that it was fair.

Even if Shangyin had allowed its disciples to study the Myriad-Character Stele beforehand, it would have been useless.

The colossal ancient stele stood upon the grounds like a city wall, blocking much of the sunlight and casting both sides into shadow. The scholars could not help raising their eyes toward it and drawing in a deep breath.

The derived scripts and edict scripts upon it seemed to have come alive, as though they were writhing. Every stroke and every dot brimmed with the primordial mountains, rivers, and myriad phenomena.

After staring too long, one's mind seemed to sink into it, as though returning to that barbaric and untamed primordial age, where true dragons, great demons, flying immortals, and human sages all existed...

The entire grounds fell silent. The disciples' pupils trembled faintly, and no one could speak.

Qiu Yunji broke the silence. "Master Yuan, how about the one who interprets the most script taking first place?"

"That would be excellent." Master Yuan smiled, his eyes narrowing.

As soon as his words fell, the many young scholars immediately took out their brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and began studying the stele to interpret its script.

Over at Pursuing Sun Academy, Jiang Qingshu had already begun writing furiously. His gaze was sharp as he stared directly at the Myriad-Character Stele, ink flying from his brush.

On Shangyin's side, everyone also swiftly put brush to paper.

Yet before even one incense stick had passed, some young scholars could no longer endure it. Interpreting ancient script consumed enormous mental strength, and this was an ancient script repository stele from the primordial era. Simply looking at it was enough to leave one's sea of consciousness exhausted.

Cold sweat poured from one scholar's forehead. The characters on his white paper had twisted out of shape, and even the hand holding his brush trembled faintly.

"If you cannot endure it, do not force yourself to interpret the script. Otherwise, you will damage your divine sense and hinder your future cultivation," Qiu Yunji said coolly, glancing at the scholar.

"This disciple understands." The young scholar gritted his teeth and, somewhat unwillingly, stopped writing. He raised his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Xu Yan did not begin writing at once. He fixed his gaze upon the Myriad-Character Stele and pondered in silence.

Rather than interpreting it character by character, if he could find a complete or half-complete passage of scripture upon the Myriad-Character Stele, interpreting it might be smoother—and easier.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that someone from Pursuing Sun Academy shared the same idea and was also studying the Myriad-Character Stele.

She was a spirited young girl with an immature face, yet her eyes were unfathomably deep.

Only after about half an hour did Xu Yan begin writing, unhurried and unflustered.

By then, not many young scholars remained writing on the grounds. Only some older students were still trying. Though they were not participating in this new scholar Dao discussion, interpreting the Myriad-Character Stele would do them no harm.