On the spiritual boat, Zhou Deyu began explaining to Pingnan's former head.
"Ah, it's all fate!" Shen Pingnan sighed, regretful that his painstakingly established academy had been razed to the ground by a single careless move.
"Just who is this Su family? Why have we never heard of them before?" Shen Pingnan voiced his doubts.
"Well, you'll know when you get there, but I can only remind you, don't force things you can't handle." Zhou Deyu didn't elaborate, merely offering a word of advice.
They had interacted in their youth within a ruin, thus being familiar with one another. Naturally, he hoped Shen Pingnan wouldn't tread a treacherous path.
Qianqiu's Sect Master assessed the casualties: several perished in the True Martial realm, some deacons died, and several elders were injured. Among the two Grand Elders, one had no chance of further advancement. As for Su family's offering powerhouse, they suffered injuries but no casualties.
Had they managed to claim Pingnan Academy's resources, Qianqiu Sect wouldn't have sustained significant losses and might even have made further gains. However, they hadn't acquired those resources.
Staring at the casualty count in his hand, Qianqiu's Sect Master felt a sense of dissatisfaction. After all, these fallen were the backbone of Qianqiu Sect.
The Su family.
[Congratulations, host, for successfully annihilating Pingnan Academy. You have gained 50,000 points of fortune.]
Upon hearing the system's voice, Su Xun opened his eyes.
With a hundred thousand points of fortune, he can exchange for another system. With that said, Su Xun vanished from his original spot.
In the courtyard of the Fifth Elder:
Over these past days, Su Mo's physical condition had improved considerably, but his complexion remained pale, giving him an ethereal appearance.
Standing within the courtyard, Su Mo held a wooden sword in his hand. However, after a few swings, the sword slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.
In frustration, he lifted the wooden sword again, yet the outcome remained unchanged.
Su Xun stood at the side, but Su Mo failed to notice him at all.
"Silly child," watching Su Mo's repeated attempts, Su Xun eventually spoke.
"Who's there?" Su Mo warily glanced towards the voice's origin. However, he found nothing, holding the sword defensively across his chest.
Su Xun's figure materialized before him.
Gazing at the young man before him, Su Mo's eyes displayed a mixture of wonder and reverence. He knelt down and addressed him as "Ancestor."
Being the direct descendant of the Su family, he naturally recognized the appearance of the family's ancestor.
Su Xun didn't help him to his feet but stood before him and spoke.
"In this world, everything is predetermined. The myriad paths of the Great Dao converge despite their distinct routes. Though martial practitioners are mighty, theirs isn't the sole path. Sage-like scholars possess the wisdom of heaven and expound laws following their speech.
"Even great Confucian scholars can wield the power to command armies with a single word. Similarly, there's Buddhism, where enlightenment can lead to transcending suffering. When the path of martial cultivation is severed, another avenue awaits." Su Xun fixed his gaze on Su Mo, his words filled with both anger and disappointment.
"Do you remember why I chose the character 'Mo' for your name?" Su Xun glanced at Su Mo, awaiting his response.
"I know, it was during my coming-of-age ceremony when I found the brush and 'The Analects'." Su Mo replied.
"When I taught you about Confucius, you expressed the desire to become someone like him, a great scholar, a saint of heaven and earth. But what about now? All I see in you is resentment," Su Xun's tone was heavy with concern. Su Mo had grown up under his guidance, and he wished to prevent him from straying down a misguided path.
"Ancestor, I remember what you said, and I understand it. But I'm just unwilling," Su Mo's voice held a hint of helplessness. The thought of that person consumed him, making him impatient for vengeance.
He had only debated with him briefly, yet what was the result? It seemed as though there was no outcome. That person's unreasonable actions had crippled his cultivation.
The Confucian way he had believed in for so long didn't seem to save him.
"Sigh, foolish child," Su Xun understood Su Mo's sentiment and felt a tinge of annoyance. A true man could be resolute yet composed. Revenge could be taken after a decade; becoming a great scholar wasn't a matter of a single night. Why couldn't he understand this?
"Enough, when you've come to your senses, come find me on the mountain behind!" After speaking, Su Xun departed.
With his dantian shattered, there was nothing he could do. However, there were other paths to tread! This child had a deep love for learning and had desired to enlighten the world from a young age. That's why he secretly entered Pingnan Academy to study. But now he sought another way driven by vengeance.
He could've been a contemporary great scholar, yet he was obsessed with a single purpose. He didn't seem to understand his own path, so how could Su Xun help?
Confucianism preached gradual enlightenment, while Buddhism preached sudden enlightenment. And even if you want to achieve sudden enlightenment, how can you do so without countless accumulations? This child was too hasty for quick gains.
After Su Xun's departure, Su Mo remained kneeling, watching leaves dance in the wind and fish leaping in the pond. He seemed to grasp something yet also seemed utterly lost.
After returning, Su Zijie first reported the situation to the family head. Upon learning of Qianqiu Sect's significant contribution, Su Zeduan dispatched a fifth-tier alchemist accompanied by two fourth-tier alchemists to Qianqiu Sect. They brought along various pills, including quite a few Nine-Petal Jade Dew Pills.
Opportunities to engage with Qianqiu Sect in the future were ample; it wasn't wise to let the horse run without feeding it.
Once back home, Su Zijie saw his son kneeling in the courtyard. He knew his son was undergoing an enlightenment process, so he immediately ordered others not to approach and stood guard at a distance.
On the other side, Su Heng successfully advanced to the peak Early Stage of Earth Martial Realm. Clad in dark clothes, he planned to sneak into the mountain behind the estate.
The back mountain was sparsely populated, with almost no one around. Plus, there was the Offering Pavilion in between, and only a few individuals were permitted to access the mountain.
Not only was the mountain behind the estate Su Xun's place of seclusion, but it also housed Su Family's ancestral shrine and the cultivation sites of many family elders. Thus, ordinary people never went there.
Looking around, Su Heng wasn't familiar with the back mountain and didn't dare to utilize his spiritual energy, fearing detection by its inhabitants.
Naturally, Su Xun was aware of Su Heng's actions, as was Su Zeduan. The North Big Dipper Star Formation wasn't something ordinary. However, Su Xun had already instructed not to interfere; he pretended as if nothing had happened.
Observing Su Heng's movements within the back mountain, Su Xun didn't obstruct him.
Su Heng made his way to the Su Family ancestral shrine. He believed that the secret could be within the shrine or perhaps in the so-called ancestor's presence.
However, after thoroughly inspecting the shrine, he found nothing. Gazing at the numerous memorial tablets on the spiritual platform, he contemplated whether the secret lay with the ancestor.
"How's it going? Found anything?" A voice sounded behind Su Heng, startling him.