Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 292: 164, Setting your heart to break through barriers is not that simple

High above Tongling Prefectural City, two vast and powerful auras, one righteous and one evil, each extended for hundreds of miles, radiating against each other, creating a spectacle with a momentum that shook the heavens and the earth.

One was the intense white Righteous Qi of Confucianism, reminiscent of thick smoke, which lit up its surroundings bright as day. Within it, not only was there the chanting of Confucian scriptures, but also the translucent figures of ancient sages preaching, both awe-inspiring and inducing an urge to bow in reverence.

The other was an expanse of blood-red demonic aura, where seas of blood churned ominously. There, ghostly wails that caused palpitations were heard, and shadows of demons danced chaotically; among them, several ancient evil demons appeared to be stirring, as if on the verge of resurrection to bring disaster to all living beings, profoundly unsettling to behold.

At the forefront of these two auras, Ji Yanzhi and Maiden Hong's figures were faintly visible. Although their exact movements were indistinct, the increasingly turbulent momentum indicated that their battle had escalated to an intense stage, obviously pushing both to their limits.

While the two were locked in fierce combat, about ten miles above the East City of Tongling County, behind a cloud, three calm and restrained figures stood quietly.

Among the three, two were old men with white hair and beards, and the last one was a rather corpulent bald monk, each positioned differently.

The foremost elder was thin, dressed in flawless white robes, his features as finely crafted as two swords piercing the sky, his presence sharp, and his gaze piercing, standing there like an unsheathed blade demanding respect without direct confrontation.

The elder on the left was more robust, attired in a noble yellow brocade, his face stern, and his brows emanating an air of righteousness, his gaze towards the crimson sky clearly filled with disgust.

The monk on the far right, dressed in a golden robe, had the most serene expression; his hands pressed together as he looked up at the sky with a tranquil gaze.

All of them silently observed the scene above, their facial expressions fluctuating with the shifts in momentum, apparently... all three could perceive the nature of the battle taking place.

"The Righteous Qi of a Great Confucian should easily suppress a Fourth-Rank Senluo Realm demon; it should be more than sufficient. If there's no sign of weakening after such a long time, this Blood Demon is probably not just limited to the Fourth-Rank Senluo Karmic Position!"

The speaking monk heard the robust elder in yellow robes gently shake his head, saying, "Not necessarily, Brother Ji is fighting to set his resolve, perhaps he is deliberately holding back to stimulate the Blood Demon's potential, to comprehend the path of the Sub-saint!"

Hearing the words "Sub-saint," a flicker passed through the monk's eyes, and he nodded, "That might be possible. After all, it's said 'A frozen three feet, not a day's cold'; for a Great Confucian to set his resolve and break through to realize the path of the Sub-saint, it's as difficult as ascending to the heavens. To rely on a mere Fourth-Rank Senluo Realm demon may indeed be unlikely. If it can provoke further potential in this Blood Demon, the chances would naturally increase."

Unlike the Martial Path, the pathway of Confucian cultivation forms its own lineage, ranging from the Heart-Cultivating Confucian Child, Clarity-Discerning Confucian Student, Righteous Heart Junior Confucian, Object-Rectifying Master, Knowledge-Reaching Grand Confucian, Great Confucian of Canon Creation, Sub-saint who deepens understanding, up to the Confucian Saint, the closest to the ancients.

Ji Yanzhi is the head of the seven Mountain Chiefs of Yangzhou Bailu Academy, one of the thirteen renowned Great Confucians in The World, a step away from becoming a Confucian Sub-saint, a person who could truly stand at the apex of the world. If slaying a common Fourth-Rank Senluo Realm demon could achieve this, it would indeed be too simple.

"Setting resolve to breakthrough and become a Sub-saint, if Brother Ji indeed succeeds, Yangzhou branch would be on par with Yan's strength then. The conflict between Yang and Yan factions will face a turning point, and if Yang leads with strategies of Bailu Academy becoming part of the Great Yu Holy Dynasty, the foremost position of The Righteous Path will shift, and The World's situation will start to change again!"

The robust elder in yellow robes sighed, and the monk's expression subtly altered, pondering silently for a long time without speaking.

"Becoming a Sub-saint is not so simple. Since the Master established the path of Confucian cultivation, it has been over one thousand five hundred years, and the Sub-saints that have emerged total only nine, not even one per century on average. For Ji Yanzhi wanting to set his resolve and achieve the body of a Sub-saint, it seems...unlikely to be that straightforward!"

Suddenly, the lean elder in white clothes, with a fierce demeanor, interjected sharply, his voice, as sharp as his appearance—even though he spoke softly, it carried an innate oppressive force that made one unconsciously feel pressured just by hearing it.

The monk and the robust elder evidently held the white-cloaked elder in high regard. Upon his intervention, they exchanged glances, fell silent for a moment, and it was the robust elder who respectfully clasped his hands and asked, "So, you don't have high hopes for Brother Ji's attempt to set his resolve and breakthrough, Brother Jing...?"

The elder in white didn't respond directly but instead posed a question to the two men.

"Do you understand what setting resolve is?"

The monk nodded, speaking, "I know a bit. It's said that when the Master established the path of Confucian cultivation, he rectified all things, attained true knowledge, and after propagating his teachings, lamented the lack of paths ahead, hence he left the Haoran Holy Sect and began to travel The World.

At that time, Yu Shenzong was about to unify all under heaven, a household name throughout the Human Race.

Yet as the Master traveled among the thirteen provinces, seeing the rampant demons and the Human Race still living in fear, he severely criticized the Divine Court for exhausting the people in wars, neglecting the populace, knowing only conquest, and not understanding agriculture and scholarship. His disciples, totaling three thousand, spread his teachings far and wide, which also incurred the blame of the Divine Court.