A Glimpse of the Root of Divine Powers; For a Moment, the Affairs of the World Were Beyond Human Control

The academic illusion formed by the halo, at first glance, is similar to the illusion of Divine Ability. However, the so-called Literary Dao and academic pursuits themselves reject the Divine Path and academic pursuits. This illusion is certainly not a real presentation in the real world, nor is it a distortion of common sense and Order. Rather, it exists only at the level of consciousness.

Because it was formed from consciousness, as the two pondered and perfected the details, this world had the possibility of infinite expansion. Outside the Imperial Academy, not only were the streets and pedestrians bustling about, but as the students moved forward, the neighborhoods along the way were gradually constructed.

In this world, everything is illusory, a product of consciousness, a thought. Only the students of the Imperial Academy are projected from a bit of the Fortune of real people.

In this illusion, they are well protected. What they see and hear are things deliberately presented by the Human Thoughts. Even the background, history, and process of the entire world are transformed into illusory memories and rooted in their hearts.

That is why Han Bian's words aroused their indignation. Even if they were just spouting nonsense, as long as they were influenced by the world of consciousness, these "students" would believe it without a doubt and take it as their ideal. Their pure and innocent hearts would also cause a sense of mission to lead the world to erupt from their hearts, making them disregard everything.

Right now, the Heaven-Piercing Drum in the center of the Imperial City suddenly sounded. This drum is no ordinary drum; it is a type of Remonstrance Drum, but it reaches the ears of the Emperor directly. Once it is sounded, the Emperor will have to intervene.

Normally, this Heavenly Drum is protected by layers of defense, and it is no exception in this world of consciousness. Han Bian visualizes various obstacles in his mind, making the students overcome them and feel the hardship of breaking through the barriers, thus arousing a sense of "I am the only one who is sober while the world is drunk".

Ultimately, this idea stems from a sense of superiority. Students study and believe themselves to be better than others. The system of a dynasty like Great Rui constantly emphasizes this point, subtly instilling this concept in them.

The ability to subtly influence others through a single thought is not unique to Great Rui. Any organization, group, or regime that can be passed down and not interrupted will inevitably establish a concept that constantly emphasizes its own advantages, the so-called rectification of Rectifying Names, and then legitimacy. This is true throughout history and across the world.

If someone proclaims that they are the only legitimate ruler in the world, and that anything that doesn't follow their rules is against human nature, then even the most foolish person can understand that this is simply instilling their own concepts into others.

"Those skilled in combat, when strong enough, will use swords and sabers to display their martial arts. If they are not strong enough to wield weapons, they will hide in the shadows, using others as pawns to manipulate Fortune, stealing their Fortune the enemy's, thus achieving their goals." Qiu Yan said this while looking at Han Bian.

Outside, the sound of drums grew louder, and the mournful cries of students could also be heard.

The drumbeat caused the Dragon Qi to surge. The entire city came to a standstill, and the many lecturers and officials inside the Imperial Academy, as well as the people walking outside, were all filled with unease.

The entire city came to a standstill!

"This is merely an illusory scene, but the pure hearts of the students and scholars remain unchanged. This kind of pure mind is extremely rare, a precious quality in the world. If guided towards the Way, one can attain the complete Way."

Listening to the sounds coming from outside, Qiu Yan murmured, "But if one is corrupted by others and only knows how to indulge one's own desires, completely ignoring reality, the final product will only be a person who, in order to satisfy their own desire for achievement, disregards the existence of others. Such a person may spout benevolence, morality, and talk about serving the country and the people, but what they truly want to satisfy is a sense of accomplishment and a sense of mission. As for what reality becomes, or whether Human Path among the people has regressed, it is no longer a consideration for them."

"Hehe," Han Bian chuckled lightly, "Sir, would you dare say such a thing to those indignant students? In their eyes, this is a compromise born of a broken will worn down by the trivialities of reality, and they might even accuse you of having a servile heart."

Qiu Yan frowned slightly. "Metaphysics resides in the mind, and human power has its limits. To believe that one's thoughts are lofty enough to distort reality and accomplish the incredible is to truly deceive oneself. History is full of examples of this. But it is precisely because of the various imperfections in the world that our pursuit of knowledge has meaning."

"Only by aligning Knowledge and Action with action and continuously improving can we truly benefit the world. If there were a system, philosophy, or doctrine that could perfectly solve all the world's problems, wouldn't that be close to Divine Ability powers? What use would we scholars be then?"

"This mentality, in essence, is escapism, shirking responsibility; it's a lazy and shameless mentality! It's about hoping others will change to suit one's beliefs, rather than using one's own knowledge to assess the situation and create something with one's own hands. It's not much different from believers who entrust their thoughts to gods. The only difference is that they don't have a specific object of their trust, hmm?"

As he spoke, Qiu Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he sensed something.

"Divine Ability also Yu Yong thoughts and Law Technique to distort reality. Could there be some connection between them?" Suddenly, a vague thought and Spiritual Light arose in his mind, gradually taking shape, as if it were about to solidify into a physical form.

But Han Bian on the other side seemed oblivious, still shaking his head and smiling, "Only those who have experienced it can understand what you're saying. Those who don't understand will remain unmoved no matter what you say. That's why we should establish many rules and regulations in advance so that people will respect them, and even the ignorant can follow the right path!"

Qiu Yan's thoughts were also brought back to normal. He glanced at the other person and said in a deep voice, "What you are doing now is not in line with the idea of establishing this law."

"To achieve something, one must first fail!"

Han Bian then changed the subject. "Sir, aren't you going to stop those Fortune? With your knowledge, you should be able to see that in order to counter your Hundred Schools Aura, I released those Fortune and let them develop unchecked. This will inevitably lead to excessive depletion. In this world of consciousness, they dare to recklessly strike the Heaven-Piercing Drum, and in the real world, they won't hesitate for a second. Their resolve is too strong, and the Dragon Qi might not be able to distinguish between reality and illusion, instead favoring them and needlessly depleting their Fortune!"

"Oh, you think I've been here doing nothing, just letting them run rampant?" Qiu Yan retorted, startling Han Bian. The latter sensed something and realized the problem.

However, the Illusory World outside the Imperial Academy had changed. The flow of time suddenly accelerated, and the scenery in the city changed rapidly, transforming into a world of vast changes in an instant! Moreover, it was not limited to just one city; the entire Great Rui World was vaguely visualized.

This imagined world, with its dim Dragon Qi, tells a story of history, but it is about to decline from its peak. However, thanks to the new policies and New Law introduced by Wang Fu and Qiu Yan, there are signs of a revival. But because it has encroached on the interests of many Aristocratic Clan and merchants, it has damaged their Fortune. This has caused these people to slowly gather together and plot to overthrow the reforms.

The students' act of beating the Remonstrance Drum undoubtedly became an opportunity for the accumulated opposition forces throughout the Central Plains to erupt, using the students as a weapon to force the "treacherous minister Qiu Yan" to step down.

As a result, the court made concessions, lost all its authority, and the emperor became disheartened. Everything that had been accumulated through the previous reforms was lost. The benefits generated by the various new policies were swallowed up by officials, Aristocratic Clan, and merchants. The common people who had benefited from the New Law became even more miserable and eventually fell into a tragic situation.

They had previously echoed this sentiment, believing that the Aristocratic Clan and merchants opposed the court to plead for their cause. However, these Aristocratic Clan and merchants were not individuals, much like Grand Confucian scholars are to a school of thought. Individuals are merely appearances or labels; their essence lies in collective will. Why would they risk their lives for the sake of other groups?

Naturally, it was merely a matter of exploitation, much like the Han Bian.

In this way, the Restoration Reform aimed at saving the nation and turning around its destiny became a Taotie for the Aristocratic Clan and bureaucrats. They defeated their political enemies, seized the opportunity to rise to power, consolidated their positions, and held absolute power. With no more obstacles, they turned around and crushed the last Root Bone of the people, extracted their marrow, and satisfied their own desires, just as they had done before.

If one has a conscience, why wait until times of upheaval to reveal it? Since one does not do good in ordinary times, how could one possibly show pity for the common people after the deed is done?

Thus, the once-full national treasury dried up again, triggering a chain reaction. The army, which had been somewhat strong, became disorganized, with factions springing up within the ranks. Not only did its combat effectiveness decline, but internal strife became frequent, and military equipment fell into disrepair.

In the end, they were defeated by the nomadic tribes of the Grasslands in a single battle.

The nomadic tribes of the Grasslands, with no further obstacles, marched straight into the Central Plains, wreaking havoc. At first, they only plundered, but before long, they developed the idea of turning the guest into the host, settling down and turning the Central Plains into a horse ranch and the people into slaves.

The fall of the Central Lands...

Not to mention that foreign tribes inherently harbor evil intentions, even if they did not, seeing the Nine Provinces shattered, the rivers and mountains without a master, and the absence of troops to control them, they would inevitably rise up in the future.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the vision of the Central Plains shattered, leaving only numerous manifestations of Fortune within, their eyes revealing a sense of bewilderment.

They too experienced a period of change, but aside from the initial moment when they were the protagonists and struck the Heaven-Piercing Drum, in the days that followed they were completely reduced to spectators. Whether it was the aristocratic Aristocratic Clan' celebrations, the military's decline, or the invasion of the Grasslands, they were powerless to do anything.

Even if they wanted to repeat that earth-shattering drumming act, the court, having lost all its authority, could neither respond nor even restrain the local authorities.

Which Aristocratic Clan, the military, or even foreign tribes would care about a student who couldn't even kill a chicken?

Using one's own future as a bargaining chip—only those who truly care about the person will hesitate to do so. Why would anyone else show any pity?

With the court in decline, the existence of scholars became insignificant; in times of chaos, where could a scholar find a foothold?

At this point, the numerous thoughts about the Fortune became increasingly chaotic, making it difficult to be certain of the Original Edition choice, and plunging the individual into confusion.

"What a convenient way to go with the flow!"

A glint flashed in Han Bian's eyes, then he shook his head. "However, this is merely your opinion, completely unfounded. The Central Plains are vast and rich in resources, a melting pot of cultures; it is impossible for them to be conquered by Grasslands tribes, let alone become slaves of a conquered nation!"

ps:

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I got home a little late, so the update will be a bit late.

Three chapters tomorrow! Please vote with your monthly tickets!