“Ah!”

Li Yuan let out a miserable cry, so frightening that it made people cry and feel sad.

In the pharmacy, Slovenly Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked away wearily.

In the back of the pharmacy, Li Ziye’s arms and knees were trembling, as if he had done something.

After extreme pain, boundless spiritual energy quickly surged into the pharmacy from the heavens and the earth, majestic and astonishing.

“No breakthrough, no establishment. No enlightenment, no clarity. Breakthrough comes after destruction, and that’s when the great path is realized.”

In the west wing, Bai Wangyu felt the spiritual energy fluctuations in the inner courtyard, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

Late stage of the First Realm!

Brother Li’s cultivation speed was faster than they had expected.

Could it be that this is the correct way of cultivation?

Breakthrough comes after destruction, and only through extreme pain can transformation be achieved.

“Wangyu.”

At this moment, the familiar old voice echoed in the world.

“Confucian Scholar.”

Bai Wangyu came to his senses and respectfully saluted.

“Do you understand?”

The old voice asked.

“I understand.”

Bai Wangyu respectfully replied.

“Qing Qing is dead, the demon eats people, and the extreme night is coming!”

The old voice echoed in the world, and the truth it spoke was shocking.

Listening to the Confucian Scholar’s words, Bai Wangyu looked puzzled and respectfully asked, “Is there really a demon in this world?”

“When the human heart is possessed by demons, demons will appear in the world.”

The old voice echoed in the world, saying, “As the cold winter approaches, all living beings will undergo calamity, and the Confucian School will realize the great path.”

“Disciple does not understand,” Bai Wangyu said in a firm voice.

“In the future, you will understand. San Zang of the Buddhist Sect has already begun his calamity, and Yan Xiaoyu of the Divine Temple also has his own inner demon. Wangyu, your calamity will come soon.”

In the sky above the west wing, the old voice sighed lightly and said, “If you can overcome this calamity, you will become the next leader of the Confucian School in the world. If not, you will have a tragic fate, and your heroism will turn to dust!”

“Thank you for your guidance, Confucian Scholar.”

Bai Wangyu saluted again and said, “I will definitely not let the Confucian Scholar down.”

“The key to your calamity lies with the Li Family, and also…”

At this point, the old voice sighed again in the sky and said, “Do not die!”

“Yes!”

Bai Wangyu bowed and replied.

“Old Bai!”

After the Confucian Scholar’s words fell, Li Ziye staggered over from outside the west wing, his steps unsteady and floating.

Seeing this, Bai Wangyu suppressed the waves in his heart, and a peaceful smile reappeared on his face. He stepped forward to support Li Ziye and said, “Congratulations, Brother Li, on breaking through again.”

“It hurts so much, I want to cry.”

As Li Ziye walked forward, he grimaced and said, “Others who practice martial arts can make rapid progress and rise to the top, but why do I have to suffer like this?”

“The greater the suffering, the greater the person.”

Bai Wangyu comforted him, “Brother Li, think about it. With your talent, you might not have had the chance to cultivate at all. But now, you have broken through repeatedly, and your cultivation speed is not as slow as you think. Isn’t it worth it to endure a little hardship?”

“What you said seems to make some sense.”

Li Ziye nodded and said, “It seems that every time I open up a meridian, I can break through immediately. Hey, Old Bai, do you think that if I open all eight meridians, my cultivation will surpass yours in an instant?”

“It’s possible.”

Bai Wangyu smiled and said, “Based on the situation of Brother Li opening up the meridians twice, breaking through after destruction can indeed stimulate the body’s potential. If Brother Li works harder, he might really surpass us.”

“Are you not just trying to comfort me?”

Li Ziye asked suspiciously.

“No, people of the Confucian School never tell lies.”

Bai Wangyu smiled and replied. Maybe, it’s possible, who knows.

However, the further one goes on the path of cultivation, the more difficult it becomes. It might not be so easy to rely on reshaping the meridians to stimulate the body’s potential and break through one after another, just like in the First Realm.

Li Ziye, who believed what even a fool wouldn’t believe, patted the shoulder of the little red-capped figure in front of him and grinned, “Don’t worry, Old Bai. When my cultivation surpasses yours, I will definitely protect you!”

“Thank you very much, Brother Li.” Bai Wangyu smiled.

In Li Yuan, the southwestern border of the royal mansion was also bustling with excitement because of the return of Princess Qing Qing.

Only in the Imperial Academy to the east, the Confucian Scholar in the small courtyard was looking at the sky with a solemn expression on his old face.

At this moment, it came earlier than he had imagined.

Qing Qing is dead, the demon eats people, and the extreme night is coming!

The instructions from the ancient book a hundred years ago had now come true. Did this mean that the time for all living beings to undergo calamity had also arrived?

In the extreme night of the cold winter, when all things do not grow, can the countless creatures in the human world survive this long winter?

“Your Majesty, since you are here, why not come in for a chat.”

After a while, the Confucian Scholar came to his senses and looked outside the courtyard, speaking.

Outside the courtyard, the Great Shang Emperor had arrived at an unknown time. After glancing at the two royal family attendants behind him, he said indifferently, “You two wait here.”

After that, the Great Shang Emperor stepped into the small courtyard.

Inside the house, the tea had already been boiled, and the Confucian Scholar and the Great Shang Emperor sat facing each other, with the mist covering their line of sight.

“What does Your Majesty want to know?” the Confucian Scholar said calmly.

“The heir of the Li Family.”

The Great Shang Emperor slowly uttered these four words, then asked, “Could it be a hidden danger for the Great Shang?”

“No.”

The Confucian Scholar shook his head and replied.

Upon hearing this, the Great Shang Emperor breathed a sigh of relief and continued, “Who do you think is the most suitable among my four princes to form an alliance with the royal mansion in the southwest?”

“The eldest prince.” The Confucian Scholar answered.

“Oh?”

The Great Shang Emperor’s eyes flashed with surprise. What the Confucian Scholar said was actually the same as what he had in mind.

It seemed that this Confucian Scholar from the Imperial Academy had already guessed what he was thinking.

The leader of the Confucian School was indeed a formidable person.

“There is one thing that I have been unclear about. Three years ago, I wanted to balance the excessive expansion of the Li Family, but it was the Confucian Scholar who stopped me. This time, when I forced the people of the Li Family to come to the capital, why did the Confucian Scholar not stop me?” The Great Shang Emperor looked at the old man in front of him and asked.”Three years ago, the time was not right.”

The Confucian Scholar said calmly, “Three years later, the time has come.”

“What time is the Confucian Scholar referring to?”

The Emperor of Great Shang narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, “The legitimate son of the Li Family?”

“Yes.”

The Confucian Scholar did not deny it and nodded in response.

“The Confucian Scholar really values this legitimate son of the Li Family.”

The Emperor of Great Shang spoke indifferently, “My sons, each one of them is a dragon among men. Even if the Confucian Scholar does not trust me, what about the students of the Imperial Academy? Take Bai Wangyu, for example, he is also an Unparalleled Arrogance among the younger generation. Why would the Confucian Scholar not choose them but instead opt for a nameless youngster born to a merchant family?”

“Winter is coming, and the world needs change.”

The Confucian Scholar said calmly, “Whether it’s Your Majesty’s Princes or the students of the Imperial Academy, they are all heavily influenced by the rituals and teachings of this world and can no longer break free.”

“Is it not good to abide by the rules?” The Emperor of Great Shang asked with a firm voice.

“It’s not that it’s not good, but that this era is not suitable.”

The Confucian Scholar picked up the teapot from the stove, poured two cups of tea, and pushed one of them forward, saying, “Has Your Majesty heard of the extreme winter nights when monsters eat humans?”

“I have seen it once in ancient texts.”

The Emperor of Great Shang picked up the tea from the table and said, “But that is just a legend, after all. In this world, there are no such things as monsters; they are merely rumors fabricated by the ignorant masses.”

“What if I, an old man, say there are?” The Confucian Scholar said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s hand holding the tea trembled, and his eyes narrowed again as he said, “Confucian Scholar, this is no joking matter.”

“I, an old man, never joke.”

The Confucian Scholar looked at the steaming tea in front of him and said, “To my knowledge, the nights in the far north are getting longer.”

“The far north has always had phenomena of polar nights; this is not strange,” said the Emperor of Great Shang.

“The far north has polar nights, but not eternal nights. Previously, there was always a time when the sun would rise. However, this year, the sun has never risen in the far north,” the Confucian Scholar said.

“So what if it hasn’t? The far north is uninhabited anyway. Even if the sun never rises, it won’t have any impact,” the Emperor of Great Shang said unconcernedly.

“If it were only the far north, it would indeed be of no concern.”

The Confucian Scholar picked up the tea from the table, took a sip, and said, “But this long polar night is moving southward. The Desert North has also begun to experience polar nights.”

“Desert North?”

The Emperor of Great Shang frowned slightly upon hearing this.

“Your Majesty should know what this means.”

The Confucian Scholar said calmly, “With the polar nights in the Desert North, the grass and water are scarce, and the people of the eight tribes of the Desert North will have to migrate south. If the polar night continues to expand, the eight tribes will keep moving south until their armies reach the Central Plains!”

“I have ten Martial Kings and a million brave and skilled soldiers; why should I fear the eight tribes of the Desert North?” A flash of killing intent passed through the Emperor’s eyes as he spoke.

“What if the polar night appears in the Central Plains?”

The Confucian Scholar said slowly, “The people need to eat. Under the polar night’s extreme winter, nothing grows. Without food, the people will riot. Your Majesty’s soldiers also have parents, wives, and children. Can Your Majesty really make them turn their weapons against their own families?”

After listening to the old man’s words, the Emperor’s expression grew increasingly grave. After a moment, he spoke, “These are all the Confucian Scholar’s speculations. The Central Plains have never experienced a polar night.”

“Indeed.”

The Confucian Scholar took another sip of his tea and said indifferently, “Before this, monsters had never appeared in the world either. Just because they haven’t appeared before doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.”

“What exactly are the monsters the Confucian Scholar is talking about?” The Emperor of Great Shang asked in a deep voice.

“Monsters eat humans, and the polar night descends.”

The Confucian Scholar said slowly, “Perhaps, the monsters are the messengers of the polar night.”

“I do not believe it.”

A cold light flashed in the Emperor’s eyes as he spoke.

“Soon, Your Majesty will believe it.”

The Confucian Scholar said calmly, “The monsters have already appeared, and moreover, they have left the endless darkness of the far north and come to this bright world.”

“If there really are monsters in the world.”

A surge of killing intent appeared on the Emperor’s face as he said, “My imperial power will exterminate all the monsters!”

“If Your Majesty has such confidence, there is no need to ask this old man anymore.”

The Confucian Scholar put down his teacup and saw the guest out, saying, “Your Majesty, it is getting late. Please return.”

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in the Emperor’s eyes, and without lingering, he rose to leave. However, as he was about to step out the door, he stopped and said indifferently:

“Confucian Scholar, the edge of the Confucian School is too sharp. I will not allow any faith within Great Shang to surpass imperial authority. The scholar from the Heavenly Edict Hall won’t do, the old monk from the Green Lantern Temple won’t do, and the Confucian School won’t do either!”