Saint Origin Continent, Kong City.
A dense sea of commoners and scholars faced Upside-Down Peak Mountain, some standing, some kneeling.
Inside a side chamber off the Sacred Academy's grand plaza.
On the table in the main hall sat a rosewood tray, upon which rested an object covered by red silk.
An elderly man with graying hair sat in a chair beside the table. He wore a purple Great Scholar's robe that had been washed so many times it was even slightly damaged. His expression was solemn, but his face was deathly pale, utterly bloodless. The deep bags beneath his eyes stood out starkly, and his cloudy eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.
He held a teacup in both hands. It kept knocking lightly against itself, exposing the tremor in his hands.
Judging solely by his appearance and bearing, no one would have associated this old man with a Great Scholar.
Not only was he a Great Scholar, he was also the former head of the Zong Family, an elder of the Eastern Sage Pavilion, Great Scholar Zong Ganyu.
Several members of the Zong Family sat on either side of the room, and the air was thick with gloom.
"Uncle, are we really going to kneel and worship Fang Yun? I can't accept this!" A Zong Family Grand Academician wore a sorrowful expression. His eldest son had opposed Fang Yun, causing his Literary Guts to shatter. He had remained unconscious and rigid in bed for years.
"Do not recklessly mention a Saint's name!" said an older Zong Family Grand Academician.
"His Sacred Image has not entered the Hall of All Sages, so he is not yet truly a Half-Sage of the Human Race. Uncle, can't we stall for time? The Hall of All Sages is fortified by the power of all