Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

This debate among a hundred schools of thought at the Jixia Academy lasted for three whole years.

Three years, the Hundred Schools of Thought debated and clashed, their ideas clashed, and battles raged, culminating in a profound transformation.

Ultimately, Taoism, Mohism, Agriculture, Legalism, Military Science, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Yin-Yang School emerged as the most prominent schools of thought.

Among them, Taoism and Confucianism are the most prominent.

However, their approaches are not the same; on the contrary, they are quite opposed to each other.

Taoism emphasizes detachment from the world, while Confucianism emphasizes engagement with the world. Laozi and Confucius debated for three years at the Jixia Academy but neither could convince the other.

After the discussion concluded, the various schools of thought left the Jixia Academy. Some continued to travel to different states to spread their ideas, while others assisted rulers and used the rulers' power to solidify their schools of thought.

In the blink of an eye, another ten years have passed.

On this day, in a mountain cave in the State of Chen, Li Er, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes and expounded the Great Dao with the words "Man follows the Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows Nature!"

Li Er established the core ideology of Taoism. The moment he finished speaking, the fortune of Taoism surged, far surpassing that of the other hundred schools of thought.

The other schools of thought all showed expressions of amazement. Li Er's exposition of the mysteries of the Way of Heaven made Taoism the foremost of all schools of thought, which was truly remarkable.

In the State of Song, Zhuangzi was taken aback upon hearing Li Er's words, then burst into laughter: "So that's how it is! The Way follows nature! What a wonderful saying, 'The Way follows nature!' With such a mindset, how can one not be carefree and at ease? In the Northern Darkness there is a fish, its name is Kun."

Zhuangzi had a profound enlightenment and recited "Free and Easy Wandering," at the same time incorporating his own school of thought into the Daoist school.

In the State of Lu, in a thatched cottage, Confucius sat at the head of the table, with his seventy-two disciples below him.

Confucius was old, but he was still vigorous and energetic, with a beard as sharp as steel needles and a muscular body that showed no signs of shrinking.

As one gets older, one's state of mind becomes more profound. Confucius said to his disciples, "When dealing with wicked people, we must have the spirit to speak out, spread our ideas, and educate the world. We must use the Analects. Do you all understand?"

The seventy-two disciples, led by Yan Hui, all stood up, cupped their hands, and said, "Disciples understand."

A strong sense of righteousness emanated from the seventy-two disciples. This righteous energy, in turn, influenced Confucius!

"Buzz!" The void trembled slightly, and an indescribable aura of righteousness erupted from Confucius, sweeping across the void!
Countless Confucian disciples, moved by the sentiment, bowed and paid homage in the direction of Confucius, saying, "Master Confucius should be the teacher of all ages."

The Analects teaches a person how to be a good person through the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness; while the Analects teaches a person how to act when facing evil people.

With the addition of the Analects to the Qu Yuan, Confucius truly deserves the title of "Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations."

The fortune of Confucius steadily increased, and this fortune was then channeled back to Kong Xuan on Fangzhang Island.

Kong Xuan, however, did not accept these blessings, but instead integrated them all into the Phoenix Clan.

At the same time, the Legalists, Mohists, Agriculturalists, Yin-Yang School, and others also established their own doctrines and consolidated their fortunes!

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Over these five years, the various states became increasingly chaotic, with the Hundred Schools of Thought contending and wars raging among them, especially among the Seven Kingdoms, which were constantly at odds.

The Wei elite soldiers, Qin elite troops, Zhao border cavalry, and Qi skilled warriors were all capable of fighting ten men each, making them invincible in the world.

On this day, Li Er rode his green ox and leisurely arrived outside Hangu Pass.

Hangu Pass, with its western border on the plateau, eastern border on the precipitous ravine, southern border on the Qinling Mountains, and northern border on the Yellow River, is known as the First Pass Under Heaven.

The commander of Hangu Pass was Yin Xi, who admired Taoism. He had learned early on that Li Er was coming to Hangu Pass, so he made preparations in advance.

On this day, Yin Xi went to the city wall for his daily patrol and suddenly saw purple clouds coming from the east, stretching for 30,000 miles.

Yin Xi was greatly surprised and excited. "The master is coming! Quickly, open the city gate! I want to personally welcome the master."

Yin Xi opened the city gate and stood at the entrance. A moment later, he saw an old man with white hair and beard riding a blue ox slowly approaching Hangu Pass.

Yin Xi hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, his attitude extremely respectful: "Yin Xi, the garrison commander of Hangu Pass, pays his respects to you, sir."

Yin Xi warmly invited Li Er to visit Hangu Pass.

Li Er initially wanted to refuse, but Yin Xi was too enthusiastic, so Li Er had no choice but to stay temporarily.

Li Er stayed for several days, and Yin Xi served him with great care and attentiveness.

On this day, Li Er took his leave, and Yin Xi respectfully saw him off as he left the pass.

On the green ox, Li Er looked at Yin Xi, suddenly smiled, took out a book from his bosom, and handed it to Yin Xi, saying, "Keep this safe. You can study it yourself or leave it to future generations."

After Li Er finished speaking, he patted the green ox, which immediately mooed and walked forward.

In the mortal realm, Li Er left Hangu Pass, and his aura became increasingly vast, as if he himself were the most fundamental principle of this world. Every move he made was shrouded in supreme majesty!

In the thatched cottage of the State of Lu, Confucius, with his muscular physique, suddenly opened his eyes. He stood up, picked up the giant sword beside him, and said, "That old Taoist is about to achieve his goal. We Confucians have been clashing with him on ideological issues for many years. Today, I will have one last debate with him."

After saying this, Confucius turned around and mounted the elephant. The elephant took a steady and solid step, and in one stride, it had already arrived at Hangu Pass.

Then, with another step, they appeared outside Hangu Pass.

Beyond the pass lies an endless plain, with fertile black soil and lush, verdant grass. The blue oxen, overjoyed, nibbled on the tender, sweet grass, letting out mooing sounds.

The blue ox grazed and slowly moved forward. After walking several dozen steps, it suddenly stopped and began to pant heavily.

Suddenly, an elephant carrying a burly man appeared on the opposite side.

Li Er, the leader of Taoism, and Confucius, the teacher of all ages, met for the second time, fifteen years after their discussion at the Jixia Academy.

Confucius leaped off the elephant, carrying a giant sword on his back, and bowed to Li Er, saying, "Mr. Li, it's been a long time."

Li Er also jumped down from the ox and returned the greeting: "Master Kong, it's been a long time."

Although Taoism and Confucianism are contradictory, this does not prevent Laozi and Confucius from appreciating each other.

The two sat down on the ground and began their final debate.

Both sides began by discussing the concept of the Dao, using their respective schools of thought to explain the Dao of Heaven and Earth, and then shifted their focus from the Dao to how to govern the world.

During their debate, flowers rained down from the sky and golden lotuses sprang from the ground—a phenomenon that only occurs when a sage is preaching.

This debate lasted for forty-nine days.

Forty-nine days later, Confucius was the first to stand up and say, "I have lost this argument."

Li Er shook his head: "There is no such thing as winning or losing, it's just a difference in understanding the Dao!"

After saying this, Li Er chuckled, mounted the ox, and the ox continued to move forward at a steady pace. Li Er began to recite the Tao Te Ching, and with each word he recited, the aura around him grew stronger.

After reciting the Tao Te Ching, Li Er gathered the essence of all the schools of thought into himself, took that step, condensed the Great Luo Golden Immortal Dao Fruit, and proved himself to be a saint.

With Li Er's enlightenment, the long-dormant Taoist fortune surged once more, and Li Er automatically became the leader of Taoism. Tongtian, who witnessed this scene, showed a look of relief in his eyes, while Xuandu was filled with excitement.

The two manifested together and came before Li Er, who was proving the Dao.

Li Er already possessed the imprint of Taiqing Laozi. After attaining enlightenment, he naturally inherited the fortune and status of Taiqing, one of the Three Pure Ones. At this time, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Li Er was Taiqing.

But he was not Laozi of the Taiqing school after all; he merely perfectly inherited Laozi's will and spirit.

"Taoist Taiqing greets fellow Daoist." Li Er bowed to Tongtian.

Tongtian was taken aback upon hearing this, and then returned the greeting.

Xuandu sighed, then summoned the Taiji Diagram and gave it to Li Er.

“Senior, this item should belong to the head of the Taoist sect. Please accept it.”

After hesitating for a moment, Li Er accepted the Taiji diagram.

Then Li Er spoke up, saying, "Fellow Daoist Tongtian, I wish that from now on, Daoism and Daoist families would worship the statues of the Three Pure Ones. Do you agree?"

Tongtian was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Of course I'm willing, but I wonder if my second brother is willing?"

"Yes." The ethereal voice of the Primordial Celestial Venerable came from the sky.

The Three Pure Ones, who had already separated before the Investiture of the Gods, are reunited in this way today.

"Master would be very happy to see this!" Thinking this, Xuandu looked up at the sky, but the sky did not respond.

After Xuandu returned the Taiji Diagram, he did not stay by Li Er's side. In his view, Li Er was not his master, and he preferred to go back to the Tushita Palace to sleep rather than stay by Li Er's side.

After Li Er left Hangu Pass to the west and attained sainthood, the position of the Taoist leader among the human race naturally fell to Zhuang Zhou.

After all, besides Li Er, he was the most senior and profound thinker in Taoism.

After assuming the leadership of the Daoist school, Zhuang Zhou followed the example of Laozi's Tao Te Ching and wrote the Zhuangzi, and respectfully referred to Laozi as Laozi.

After his debate with Laozi, Confucius secluded himself for three whole years.

Three years later, Confucius emerged from seclusion. Upon his return, he summoned his disciples and announced to them in public: "I, Confucius, today establish the Confucian method of self-cultivation!"

As he spoke, Confucius's body floated up in mid-air, his eyes shining brightly like small suns.

"The Confucian cultivation method I created cultivates a righteous spirit, which is nurtured in the dantian. With a righteous spirit in one's body, one can kill enemies with poetry, destroy armies with lyrics, and bring peace to the world with literature."

Kong Xuan's voice, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the six realms and reached the ears of every scholar.

The Confucian method of self-cultivation has been established, and the aura of a scholar naturally evolves into literary spirit, which has a hundred wonderful uses.

Every scholar's face showed excitement, and they bowed and said, "Master Confucius can be the teacher of all ages."

In the human realm, countless human faces revealed surprise.

From this day forward, humanity will have another method of cultivation, and the human race's fortune will rise even higher.

In the ancestral land of humanity, before the sacred temple of humanity, the flow of human destiny takes place.

Cangjie's face showed a look of satisfaction as he spoke, "The Confucian method of cultivation is truly profound and unique. Master Confucius has made great contributions to the human race and can be considered our second Sage of Literature."

The three ancestors of the human race, the three sovereigns and five emperors, all showed a look of satisfaction.

With the approval of the ancient sages of humanity, the cries of countless scholars paid homage, and wisps of literary spirit rose from every human being, converging to form a vast ocean.

This literary energy continued to rise, eventually settling entirely within Confucius's body.

"Crack!" Within Confucius's body, an invisible constraint seemed to be shattered, and his aura continued to rise, with the Primordial Golden Immortal Dao Fruit condensing above his head.

Upon seeing this, Kong Xuan, who was on Fangzhang Island, seized a portion of the fortune and deliberately severed all ties with Confucius.

From then on, Confucius was simply Confucius of the human race, and had no further connection with Kong Xuan.

The fortune seized by Kong Xuan was divided in two, with the larger portion, about 70%, falling into the hands of the Phoenix Clan.

The Phoenix Clan instantly repaid the karmic debt owed to the primordial world, and from then on, the Phoenix Clan no longer needed to bear the burden of karma. Even the Primordial Phoenix had a glimmer of hope for rebirth.

The remaining 30% of the fortune was transferred by Kong Xuan into Yuan Hong's body.

Before Yuan Hong could react, he was propelled by this immense fortune, breaking through his cultivation level all the way to the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Yuan Hong was overjoyed and immediately knelt down, excitedly saying, "Thank you, Master."

"Get up! With this fortune by your side, your future cultivation will be smooth sailing. However, this fortune is obtained from Confucianism. Confucius owes me a great debt of karma. If I were to refine this fortune myself, there would be no problem."

But if you refine it, it's like you owe Confucianism a karmic debt, and you need to repay that debt.

"The disciple understands."

Kong Xuan nodded: "Good, go and cultivate!"

Returning our attention to Confucius, because Kong Xuan intercepted about 40% of the Confucian school's fortune, Confucius, despite condensing the Dao Fruit of the Primordial Golden Immortal, failed to become a saint on the spot, and fell several years later.

His soul was enveloped by the Dao Fruit of the Primordial Golden Immortal and flew into the mortal realm, where the Goddess Nuwa created a new physical body for him.

Confucius began his cultivation in the human realm. With the Dao Fruit of the Primordial Golden Immortal, it was not difficult for Confucius to attain sainthood. He only needed time to become a saint.

The founders of Taoism and Confucianism successively attained enlightenment, and these two schools have already occupied half of the fortunes of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

The competition among the remaining schools of thought became increasingly fierce.

Bai Jing's gaze did not linger on the various schools of thought, but instead turned to the Water Curtain Cave of Flower Fruit Mountain.

A few breaths ago, the set of top-grade innate spiritual treasures inside the Water Curtain Cave was finally completed.

As the spiritual treasure was fully formed, the massive amount of innate spiritual energy in the Water Curtain Cave automatically flowed into the giant rock atop Flower Fruit Mountain.

The giant rock already absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon every day. Now, with the infusion of a vast amount of innate spiritual energy from a blessed land, the deity nurtured within it is becoming increasingly active, as if it is about to be born.

Bai Jing, who witnessed this, showed great interest. He stepped out and stood in the sky above Flower Fruit Mountain. He wanted to witness the birth of Sun Wukong with his own eyes.

In any case, that monkey was always special in Bai Jing's eyes.

Bai Jing waited above Flower Fruit Mountain for five days. Finally, a crack appeared on the immortal stone. The crack then continued to widen. With a deafening roar, the boulder shattered and produced a stone egg.

After being exposed to the wind, the stone egg transformed into a stone monkey with all five senses and four limbs.

(End of this chapter)