Chapter 259: The True Nature of One’s Heart Is Killing

The conversation between the two was surprisingly long.

As Han Qi answered his questions, the Confucian Celestial Phenomena cultivator would occasionally ask questions in return.

Li Shun stood quietly to the side, observing them for a long while. Gradually, he began to understand what was really going on.

This was not an ordinary disciple seeking guidance from a senior. From the resonance of the principle qi stirred by their exchanges, it was more like a debate between fellow cultivators of equal standing.

Two hours later, their discourse finally came to an end.

The Confucian Celestial Phenomena cultivator rose to his feet and merely gave the watching Li Shun a slight nod.

There was neither the arrogance of a great expert in his eyes nor the warmth of someone deliberately seeking friendship. It was simply the ordinary greeting exchanged between two people who had met by chance.

He then flicked his sleeve, turned around, and walked straight out the door.

The tranquil Dao sanctuary once again fell silent, leaving only Li Shun and Han Qi.

“The man just now is Chen Mo, a disciple of the [Investigate Things and Attain Their Principles] lineage,” Han Qi briefly introduced.

Li Shun gazed at the empty doorway and could not help but sigh solemnly. “A Celestial Phenomena cultivator would already be a top-tier great expert capable of governing an entire region if placed in the Great Qian imperial court. Yet here in the Taixue Academy, he is still merely a disciple.”

Han Qi chuckled when he heard this. “What realm do you think I am in?”

Li Shun focused his attention on Han Qi and examined him carefully.

The aura surrounding Han Qi was like clouds shrouded in mist, constantly shifting and impossible to fathom.

Yet in Li Shun’s understanding, someone qualified to serve as a Confucian Academician in this unfathomably profound Taixue Academy, and capable of making a Celestial Phenomena cultivator willingly accept his teachings, must possess cultivation that reached the heavens.

Thus, he tentatively replied, “Creation realm?”

Han Qi gave a self-deprecating laugh and shook his head. “Creation, creation. To seize the Creation of Heaven and Earth is to attain great freedom. If I had truly entered the Creation realm, why would I still be miserably confined here teaching?”

“In truth, my cultivation is at the same realm as yours.”

“Grotto Mystic.” Han Qi spoke calmly.

Li Shun was stunned.

He examined Han Qi again in disbelief.

No matter how he looked at him, the bearing and composure of this young man revealed the profound demeanor of a grandmaster.

And yet such a person was only at the Grotto Mystic realm?

Disbelief showed in Li Shun’s eyes.

Han Qi was not offended. He merely asked calmly, “In your view, what makes someone a disciple, and what makes someone a teacher?”

Li Shun answered without hesitation, his voice solemn. “The accomplished are teachers.”

Han Qi asked again, “Then what have you come to my Confucian Dao sanctuary seeking to learn?”

“Naturally, the classic writings of the ancient Confucian sages, as well as the various obscure difficulties I have encountered along my own path of cultivation,” Li Shun answered honestly.

Han Qi raised his head slightly, his gaze profound.

“Although my cultivation is only at the Grotto Mystic realm, beneath Heaven and Earth, any doubts you may encounter on the path ahead of your cultivation, I can fully analyze, break down, and point you toward the right direction.”

“If so, why can I not be your teacher?”

His tone remained calm, yet it revealed an incomparably powerful confidence.

Li Shun immediately understood.

When he had previously broken through and experienced the mysteries of the Grotto Mystic realm, he had learned that there were peerless geniuses in this world who could glimpse the secrets of Creation not long after entering Grotto Mystic.

And the Han Qi before him seemed to be precisely such a supreme genius.

Although he appeared to be stuck at a bottleneck in his realm for some unknown reason, his heaven-defying comprehension had already allowed him to deduce, on the level of the spirit, every obstacle and every vista along the path of cultivation ahead.

Having understood this, Li Shun did not develop the slightest contempt or negligence merely because Han Qi was at the same realm as himself. Instead, he became even more respectful.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, he cupped his fists and asked, “May I ask, Teacher Han, what exactly happened to leave you stranded at this realm?”

Han Qi shook his head with a laugh.

“You new students are all the same. Every one of you asks me this question after sitting here.”

“Actually, it is nothing that cannot be spoken of. In the end, it all comes down to four words: ‘Heaven’s will is difficult to defy.’”

“Although I can glimpse all the mysteries of Creation, the Gate of Heaven stands before me. Even with the road ahead laid out clearly, I am unable to take so much as a single step.”

“What can I do?”

Han Qi’s voice was filled with helplessness, but his expression showed little bitterness.

Instead, there was a carefree detachment that suggested he had long since come to terms with it.

“All right. It is nothing but old history. There is no need to talk about it.”

Han Qi withdrew his gaze and looked seriously at Li Shun.

“How have you decided? Which Confucian lineage are you planning to focus on?”

“Let me remind you beforehand. Once you select a lineage, you absolutely cannot change midway until you pass my graduation examination. Therefore, you must consider your choice carefully.”

Li Shun did not rush to answer. Instead, his expression became solemn as he recounted in detail the strange condition he had experienced yesterday while reading the [Classic of Sole Righteousness].

His mind had unconsciously become immersed in the text, even causing the principle qi within his body to run rampant and nearly resulting in the collapse of his Dao Foundation.

The instant Han Qi heard this, a sharp gleam appeared in his eyes.

His gaze toward Li Shun became extraordinarily complicated.

“Fate truly plays cruel tricks on people... Fate truly plays cruel tricks!”

Han Qi suddenly let out a long sigh.

“Before you came here, I had already heard that you were the most outstanding disciple of the new generation of the Spring and Autumn Brush lineage.”

“But who could have imagined that your peerless talent would actually have led you to worship under the wrong lineage!”

Li Shun’s expression immediately became solemn.

He cupped his fists and asked seriously, “May I ask, Teacher Han, what do you mean by that?”

A trace of amusement appeared on Han Qi’s face.

He then slowly explained, “Those various signs of losing control yesterday were not some dangerous deviation into cultivation madness. Quite the opposite. They were a tremendous opportunity that countless Confucian scholars in this world could beg for and never obtain!”

“Within the Confucian school, there is an extremely rare state known as ‘Literature and Spirit in Harmony.’”

“It means that even without a renowned teacher beside you to explain the meaning of the classics, your spiritual core and fundamental will can naturally achieve a perfect resonance with the profound true meaning that the scripture seeks to express.”

“Such a degree of compatibility makes you nothing less than the chosen one of a particular lineage! If you cultivate that lineage, you need no one to teach you. You can comprehend everything yourself, and your cultivation progress will inevitably advance a thousand miles a day, surging forward with unstoppable momentum!”

At this point, Han Qi shook his head with deep regret.

“Judging from all your reactions while reading the [Classic of Sole Righteousness] yesterday, the true nature of your heart, your decisiveness, and your instinct for killing and conquest clearly make you a heaven-chosen disciple of the [Sole Righteousness] lineage!”

“What a pity...”

“You had already entered the Spring and Autumn Brush lineage beforehand, and you have even cultivated all the way to Grotto Mystic.”

“Your Dao Foundation has already been established. There is no turning back.”

Li Shun asked again, “Was it not said that the stones of other mountains may serve to polish jade? Can I not cultivate other methods alongside my primary path and borrow from them?”

Han Qi answered seriously, “Regardless, the Spring and Autumn lineage has already become the foundation and core of your cultivation. The various principles of other lineages can only serve as references. They absolutely cannot shake your foundation.”

“You may innovate upon what came before. You may integrate and comprehend different teachings. But the fundamental nature of your path cannot be changed. Otherwise, your foundation will inevitably be damaged.”

“Even if you abandoned everything and started cultivating anew, you would have already lost that innate purity.”

“What is missed is missed. There is no turning back.”

Han Qi looked at Li Shun, his eyes filled with regret.

Li Shun’s heart stirred as he sensed something.

He tentatively asked, “Teacher Han, could it be that you yourself came from the [Sole Righteousness] lineage?”

Han Qi nodded openly in acknowledgment.