Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 293: 164, Setting your heart to break through barriers is not that simple_2

The Divine Court dispatched a large force to capture all its disciples. Master could not let his disciples incur guilt because of his words and voluntarily stepped onto the Divine Court to confess and accept punishment. It was rumored that at that time the Divine Emperor had already decreed a death sentence for slandering him, preparing for immediate execution...

The old monk had not finished speaking when the burly old man took over, continuing the narrative, evidently both were very familiar with the character "Master."

"At that moment, a high official of the Divine Court spoke up, promising that as long as the Master retracted his statement, he would be released without charge. Yet, under the Divine Court's executioner's blade at the Heaven Slaying Altar, the Master showed no fear, remained true to his heart, and was not intimidated by the Divine Court, establishing the resolve to plead for the people's lives."

This great vow immediately drew divine compassion, heaven-sent sweet dew, the executioner's blade turned into ink, and the steel-forged Heaven Slaying Altar sprouted a large patch of orchids. The Master was also endowed by the heavens, his body transfigured into that of a Sub-saint at the altar, personally received by the Sect Master of Yu Shenzong, and he established the Bailu Academy in Tianzhou, finally formally establishing the Dao Lineage of Confucianism!

After both had finished speaking and looked at the fierce-faced, white-haired old man, their gazes carried a hint of confusion. The events of Master's travels through the world were but more than fifteen hundred years ago, their ages also amounted to just over a thousand. Although they had not personally experienced the pinnacle era of the Master, they nonetheless knew some of these events.

The Confucian doctrine of establishing resolution through shattered reflections is, in ancient Buddhist texts, not unlike that attained by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. To put it simply, it's eight characters: "See the true heart, establish a great vow."

Eight characters, easy to say, yet as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

"See the true heart, establish a great vow, is it really that simple? How come in these fifteen hundred years, there have been only nine Sub-saints."

The path of cultivation for Martial Artists, developed over three thousand years by predecessors, defines what cultivation is, what should be done, and how breakthroughs should be achieved, following specific processes.

But the Confucian Sect is different, how to truly 'see the true heart' and how to 'establish a great vow' are just empty words, the difficulty of which cannot be comprehended by those not within it."

The old man surnamed Jing said these words, paused for a moment, and continued: "The body of a Sub-saint, being the purest and most upright in the world, any encounters with demons strip them of their wildness, their true forms revealed upon hearing his voice, not to mention Fourth-Rank Senluo Realm demons, even those of the Third-Rank Ten Thousand Forms Realm must retreat three measures, such divine favor if easily achieved, could be considered a joke."

Just the first four words of 'seeing the true heart' can eliminate nearly ninety-nine percent of the commoners in this world. Living in this world, who can have a clear conscience, who doesn't harbor the slightest personal desire, who can truly live a life of rectitude?"

The elder asked thrice in succession, and the old monk and the burly old man clad in yellow robes remained silent for a long while.

"Mr. Peng has lived for over a thousand years, slaying demons and purging evil spirits while indeed nurturing thoughts of supporting the Righteous Path, yet I also dare not claim to be devoid of personal desires,

"Amitabha, this poor monk residing in the Chan Sect, striving to see one's true heart, far from achieving it, I am truly ashamed!"

Old man Jing, showing no surprise on his face, seemed to have anticipated their responses, perhaps out of recognition for their honesty, his face even revealed a trace of appreciation.

"However, Brother Ji hailed from the chaotic times at the end of the Wuzong era, following Master's path of loyalty to the emperor, delving into Confucian Law for over a thousand years, it is said that even the head of the academy in Yangzhou, Mencius, has repeatedly praised him as resembling a Sub-saint. It's not impossible for someone who sees his true heart, to also be able to accomplish this task, right?"

Upon hearing the question from the burly old man in yellow robes, old man Jing's fierce countenance suddenly took on a meaningful look, and he spoke softly, "Brother Ji certainly came prepared, but the issue is, this Blood Demon is his only vulnerability in this world, facing this weakness directly is also key to his becoming a Sub-saint this time."

"Brother Ji's only vulnerability, what does that mean?" the old monk asked, puzzled.

"You only know Ji Yanzhi as a person from the late Wuzong era, but you do not know, he's originally from Zhaoyang County, Tongling County. The birth of this Zhaoyang Blood Demon, speaks directly of his connection."

"Please enlighten us, Brother Jing!"

"Ji Yanzhi's original surname is Hong..."

Upon hearing this surname Hong, the old monk and the burly old man both suddenly looked up at old man Jing, showing a trace of shock, and immediately upon realizing he was not joking, their expressions became one of astonishment mixed with a hint of oddity, becoming incredibly animated.

"So you mean to say, Ji Yanzhi is actually Hong..."

"Indeed, that man who willingly sent his own younger sister to the rebels, buying time to lure another group of rebels, and ultimately preserved Zhaoyang amidst the pincer attack of two groups of bandits, loyally devoted to Wuzong, awarded by the Divine Dynasty, and listed foremost among the seven loyal officials, Hong Xiufu, is none other than Ji Yanzhi himself!

And this Zhaoyang Blood Demon, is but the resentment of his sister, Hong Linger, who, using a thousand-year-old locust tree as her body, gathered the resentment of countless souls, and thus was born."

Though they had already anticipated the answer, hearing old man Jing's confirmation still made their expressions of oddity linger quite a while, looking up at Ji Yanzhi in the sky, stirring a most peculiar feeling within them...

Old man Jing, without seeking the reactions of the two, merely looked up quietly at the scene in the sky, his eyes flashing with a hint of the mysterious You color.

"As my Wanjian Holy Sect took the risk of waging war with the Rakshasa Holy Sect, tearing apart the treaty between two states, to resurrect the Blood Demon and create an opportunity for a breakthrough, if it could lead to a breakthrough and achieve a Sub-saint, enabling the academies in Yangzhou and Yanzhou to contend equally, then the Sect Master's strategy would indeed be well played."