The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

Hu Yuan read through the manuscript of the Dharma teachings word by word.

Make sure every detail fits perfectly, then gently put down the pen.

Looking up at his four companions, he spoke in a low voice, but with an barely suppressed excitement: "Now that the method is complete, it should have a name."

"This method was created by the five of us, integrating classical studies, Neo-Confucianism, practical learning, and the teachings of village schools."

"It was achieved through continuous practice and refinement day and night at Mingdao Academy."

"In my opinion, it should be named 'Mingdao' (明道, meaning 'enlightenment')."

Ma Rong stroked his gray beard and nodded slightly, replying, "The words 'Mingdao' are excellent."

"However, I believe that two more words should be added."

"This method is different from any other method in the past. It is not a private collection of one family or school, but a public study jointly created by five families."

"Classical studies are the foundation, Neo-Confucianism is the core principle, practical learning is the path, and village schools are the ultimate destination. Only when these four are integrated can this method be formed."

"I propose that it be called the 'Five Paths to Enlightenment' method."

"The five understandings are: classics, principles, practical knowledge, local schools, and comprehensive knowledge."

Huang Gan, Zhen Dexiu, and Ouyang Shoudao exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

Zhen Dexiu clapped his hands and laughed, "The Mingdao Five Paths Method not only clarifies its origin but also reveals its core essence—truly wonderful!"

Ouyang Shoudao gently placed the old book in his hand on the chessboard and sighed, "When I was teaching in a village school in my previous life, I always felt that my shallow knowledge was not worthy of being presented in a refined setting."

"I never imagined that I would be able to create a complete method with the four gentlemen in this lifetime. My life has been worthwhile."

The five men looked at each other and laughed, their laughter echoing in the empty courtyard, startling the night birds in the old locust tree into flight.

With the method established, all that remains is to verify it.

Huang Gan sat down cross-legged first, spread the manuscript of the Dharma on his lap, closed his eyes and concentrated.

He devoted his entire life to organizing Zhu Xi's posthumous writings, and his understanding of the two words "exhausting principles" was the most profound.

At this moment, he slowly channeled the righteous energy in his chest through the circulation route taught by the Dharma.

The mist that had been scattered throughout the body gradually condensed into a warm, thin stream, slowly flowing along the meridians.

When this flow of energy reached the vicinity of his heart, he felt a sudden jolt in his chest.

The fourth-rank threshold that had held him back for most of his life cracked open.

A warm, righteous energy burst forth from the heart, flowing freely through the meridians along the prescribed route, and the fourth grade was broken.

But he didn't stop.

Those long, solitary nights spent under the lamp while organizing Zhu Xi's posthumous works at Kaoting Academy in my past life.

The painstaking effort of consulting hundreds of volumes of classic texts just to find the meaning of a single word.

Those lonely years of being misunderstood by fellow disciples and neglected by the world have now transformed into the purest and most righteous spirit.

Propelling his aura forward, from the mid-stage of the fourth rank to the peak of the fourth rank, and then breaking through the threshold of the fifth rank with unstoppable momentum.

His knowledge accumulated in his previous life was so profound that once it found an outlet, it was like a flood bursting its banks, unstoppable.

As dawn broke, he had already firmly established himself at the peak of the fifth rank, just one step away from the sixth rank.

Jin Dexiu followed closely behind.

In his previous life, when he served as a local official, he took it upon himself to apply his knowledge to practical affairs, and he had the deepest understanding of the importance of "action".

His breakthrough method was completely different from Huang Gan's.

Huang Gan meditated to attain enlightenment, but he got up and paced around the courtyard, silently reciting the key points of the Dharma Gate as he walked.

When he read the words "to achieve results through actions", he suddenly stopped and looked down at his cloth shoes and hands, which were covered in dew.

In his previous life, he reduced taxes in Quanzhou, provided disaster relief in Fuzhou, and built an academy in Tanzhou.

Every single thing he actually did left a mark on his heart.

At this moment, these memories surged like a tide, and he felt the righteous energy in his chest suddenly become scalding hot, as if it had been ignited by something.

Breakthrough to the fourth rank!

He took advantage of this momentum to continue practicing the method, and his aura rose steadily.

From the mid-stage of the fourth rank to the peak of the fourth rank, and then in one fell swoop break through the fifth rank, heading straight for the sixth rank.

The moment he stepped into the sixth rank, a faint golden halo suddenly emanated from his body.

That was a sign of righteous indignation, a mark of a sixth-rank scholar.

He slowly opened his eyes, looked down at the flowing golden light in his palm, remained silent for a while, and then suddenly smiled.

He said that at the moment of breakthrough, he suddenly understood a principle.

He had pondered the meaning of "exhausting the principles to attain knowledge, and reflecting on oneself to put it into practice" for most of his life, and now it had finally been truly validated in his actions.

"What is the Dharma Gate? It is to integrate knowledge and action, and to combine the principles of Heaven with human affairs."

Hu Yuan and Ma Rong's breakthroughs were more measured and steady.

Hu Yuan used the philosophy of "understanding the essence and applying it" to take a holistic view, verifying all the knowledge and methods he had learned throughout his life.

He steadily progressed from the peak of the third rank to the fifth rank, and then continued to climb to the sixth rank. His aura was long and profound, just like his character.

Ma Rong, with his profound knowledge of Han Dynasty Confucian classics, meticulously examined every key point in the Dharma teachings.

After confirming that all theories were solid and flawless, I calmly entered a meditative state.

The accumulated knowledge of the classics over two lifetimes transformed into the most solid foundation at this moment.

His breakthrough was neither as swift as Huang Gan's nor as fiery as Zhen Dexiu's, but rather possessed a composure and certainty that had been tempered over a thousand years, allowing him to also reach the sixth rank.

Of the five, only Ouyang Shoudao stopped at the fifth rank.

His academic foundation was not as profound as the four others, but he was the most frank, smiling and saying that a fifth rank was enough.

He was originally a village school teacher, and was more than capable of teaching those young children.

As the morning sun leaped over the back of the eastern mountain, casting its golden rays upon the courtyard of Mingdao Academy, the five stood under the old locust tree, their robes fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.

Their auras were completely different from last night: three were at the sixth rank, one was between the peak of the fifth rank and the sixth rank, and one was at the fifth rank.

This unassuming private academy has, in just a few months, developed literary cultivation capabilities comparable to those of a mid-level sect.

More importantly, they possess a set of methods that they can teach to anyone.

It is not the private hoard of any aristocratic family, nor the monopoly of any force, but a door opened for scholars from humble backgrounds across the land.

Looking at the barren farmland in front of the courtyard, which was dyed golden by the morning sun, Hu Yuan suddenly sighed.

The true value of Mingdao Academy does not lie in those five old men.

But it lies in those two hundred disciples, and in the millions of others like them in the future.

A poor scholar who studies diligently under the cold window, but is trapped in the third rank because he has no way to learn.

After the words were spoken, no one in the courtyard spoke again, except for the morning birds chirping in the old locust tree, as if responding to their expectations.