Both sides came together, and immediately a dispute arose over the manifestation of Propriety.
Such disputes are unlikely to be resolved through words alone.
Thus, the magical arts of both sides became the method to determine the victor.
Li Qi was seen with his interpretation of 'Propriety' emerging around him.
Systems, regulations began to cover the 'Water' that had previously enveloped him.
Yu ruled as a sovereign, holding standards and rules in both hands, thus ensuring everything turned smoothly and effectively. His creations were solid, movements adhered to propriety, and speech established systems—this is what is called Propriety.
"The gentleman treats me with arrogance here; it's sheer impropriety!" Li Qi roared!
Language holds power.
In ancient times, when Cang Jie created writing, millet rained from the sky and ghosts wept at night—it was like this. Li Qi had also demonstrated such power before.
He accused Tang Kingdom of being impolite to him, thereby infusing his magic with strength.
Being impolite, the previous restraints naturally loosened, granting Li Qi freedom and even extending to Liu Junyi's vicinity.
Li Qi's approach was much more violent than 'Water', resembling heavy chains rising up to prevent Liu Junyi from making any moves!
This move caused many onlookers to stand up in surprise.
Such techniques were not supposed to be mastered by Shamans and Diviners; these were methods of Humanism!
How did this young master of Wu Deity Mountain learn this?!
At this moment, Liu Junyi softly spoke, "Propriety is the foundation of governance, uniting the heart and body, aligning all things properly, clarifying actions undertaken—are you using it to suppress others?"
Propriety is for restraining oneself, not for coercing others.
Liu Junyi pointed out directly that while Li Qi spoke of Propriety, he used the power of speech to bind others, which was beneath him.
As soon as the words fell, the domain of regulations surging towards Li Qi split apart, a crack opening beside Liu Junyi, preventing any approach.
Misinterpreting Propriety as merely rules and laws was wrong, indicating Li Qi's lack of understanding of Propriety!
Li Qi fell into deep thought, feeling real pressure now.
Because he hadn't anticipated this statement from the opponent, meaning he hadn't expected anyone to say something like this.
This suddenly emerged green-robed scholar was indeed an equal match for him.
Moreover, his actions matched his words. Even the 'Water' that previously bound him only circled around without causing discomfort.
Using more aggressive chains against the other party ended up leaving Li Qi speechless and struggling to respond.
Li Qi fell silent, pondering how to counter the argument.
The green-robed scholar exuded a gentle breeze and flowing water around him, making people feel restrained in his presence.
It's like walking down an ordinary street where one feels relaxed.
But entering a lavishly decorated room with exquisite facilities makes people become very reserved, afraid of doing something wrong—this is the 'Chamber of Orchids'.
By using Propriety to restrain oneself, one becomes like an orchid, naturally influencing those around to be similarly influenced by Propriety.
This is the way of a gentleman.
This was Liu Junyi's response to Li Qi.
Clearly, Li Qi didn't agree but couldn't find a rebuttal immediately.
Given some time, he might think of something, but... there wasn't much time in such a public setting.
The more he thought, the more 'Water' surrounded him, making it harder to break free.
It wasn't just about coming up with a counterargument; he needed to create new magical techniques based on it to apply practically to win.
Li Qi remained silent for about five seconds, his mind racing, until—
Yan Ke stood up.
Then, he gently said, "Propriety has three origins: its principle originates from Taiyi, its practice from Suihuang, and its name from Huangdi. The principle from Taiyi is clear; the practice from Suihuang and the name from Huangdi are different."
"Its essence has two aspects: one is physical form, referring to the nobility, hierarchy, size, quality, and texture of all things having their own forms. The second is the essence of Propriety, speaking of how sage kings formulated laws, embodying these principles so that nobility, hierarchy, and value each found their proper place."
Yan Ke's answer broke the silence.
His words were simple, briefly explaining his viewpoint and pointing out that the origin of Propriety isn't singular, and both sides were speaking partially. Moreover, Propriety itself has two aspects—physical and essence—which shouldn't be confused.
As he spoke, everyone's eyes turned towards him again.
Yan Ke was handsome.
If Liu Junyi was a graceful green bamboo, refreshing to notice, yet easy to overlook if not paying attention,
then Yan Ke was a tree full of magnolia flowers, fragrant and noticeable from afar, hard to ignore intentionally.
Compared to Yan Ke, Li Qi lost significantly in both appearance and demeanor.
When Yan Ke stood up, the atmosphere changed noticeably.
This timely support gave Li Qi ample time to complete his thoughts.
After Yan Ke finished, Li Qi immediately added, "Without Propriety, morality, benevolence, and righteousness cannot be achieved. Without Propriety, education and rectification of customs cannot be fulfilled. Without Propriety, disputes cannot be resolved. Without Propriety, the order of beings cannot be established. Governing courts and armies, overseeing officials, and enforcing laws require Propriety for authority. Praying, offering sacrifices, serving spirits—all require sincerity and solemnity through Propriety. Thus, Propriety exists within all things and laws, intertwined, with various scriptures and teachings delineating their boundaries, differing in names but not strange."
Their combined efforts managed to suppress Liu Junyi.
With their reasoning, corresponding magical techniques naturally formed from their hands.
The 'Water' surrounding Liu Junyi abruptly split into two halves.
The area divided by the Deputy Minister of Honglu was also split in two.
Like Yin and Yang.
Yin-Yang Taiji, changeable, showing the dual nature of Propriety. Li Qi and Yan Ke each controlled one side, drawing a clear boundary of the Yin-Yang symbol around them.
There is division, like armies on the left and right, each part distinct, not overlapping.
Now it was Liu Junyi's turn to frown.
But then someone shouted angrily, "Is it not shameful to gang up two against one?!"
Originally meant to criticize Li Qi and Yan Ke for ganging up, but the senior shaman from Wu Deity Mountain heard this and responded coldly!
Leaning on one hand, the shaman tilted his head and said, "If receiving help is shameful, what about your twenty-some people taking turns attacking Li Qi earlier?"
"How about this: originally, it was a dispute between Wu Deity Mountain and Tang Kingdom, and some even sought external aid. So, let's fight freely, and you can join too, how about that?"
The Deputy Minister knew he was in the wrong and didn't reply, since he indeed called for external help.
The shaman's response made the others fall silent.
But soon, other scholars rose to support Liu Junyi!
Someone stood up and shouted, "Ages vary, views differ, predictions are numerous and conflicting, complex and useless—how can divisions be made? Let's simplify! Uphold justice with integrity, embrace virtue!"
After he finished speaking, the divided formation of Li Qi and others was suppressed somewhat, while at the same time giving Liu Junyi more time!
Liu Junyi looked towards his supporters with a grateful nod, clearly finding this very helpful.
However, Bo Yue stood up, speaking about his expertise in Yi studies: "Propriety is the warp and weft of heaven and earth, its origin lies in the beginning of Taiyi, tracing back to the origins and examining the ends, embodying human desires. It relies on the six energies above and rides the four seasons below, assigning purity and turbidity to create variations, influenced by Yin and Yang to change—how can it not be divided and discussed?!"
With Bo Yue joining in, the others from Tang Kingdom no longer held back, standing up one after another until more than ten were on their feet!
Someone loudly told Li Qi, "Young Master is knowledgeable and well-versed in both past and present, but remember that reviewing the statutes of previous generations helps understand the gains and losses of today. Everyone should record what they know based on their experiences. Do not violate the original scriptures, changing meanings easily."
Another person countered Yan Ke, "Saying there are two origins for Propriety is unconvincing. In my view, there are three origins: Heaven and Earth are the origin of life; ancestors are the origin of lineage; sovereigns and teachers are the origin of governance!"
Others began to elaborate on their viewpoints: "All Propriety starts simply, matures into elegance, and ends in joyous comparison. Therefore, the most complete form expresses both emotion and writing thoroughly; next comes those where emotion or writing predominates; lastly, returning to emotion to align with Taiyi. With heaven and earth united, sun and moon shining brightly, seasons ordered, stars moving, rivers flowing, all things flourishing, likes and dislikes moderated, joys and angers appropriate—this leads to harmony below and clarity above, myriad changes without disorder—how can it vary from person to person?"
Instantly, the scene turned chaotic, with references to ancient texts such as the Century Records, Six Arts, Guangya, Rites Movement, Ancient Ritual Classics, Luo Gao, and many others. Numerous viewpoints, articles, philosophical thoughts, and wise sayings were brought forth.
Without a solid foundation, just these words alone could cause a headache.
Each word was precious, requiring careful reading to understand its meaning. Now, like pearls strung together, thousands of statements piled up in an instant!
With these words came countless magical techniques, each with different effects, surging toward the young masters of Wu Deity Mountain like a tsunami!
Thousands of statements needed to be refuted.
Thousands of techniques had to be broken.
Failure meant losing, and losing badly. Even if the young master was strong, facing hundreds of Eighth Rank cultivators attacking simultaneously, though not a death match, sheer numbers could overwhelm!
Most of these statements were easy for Li Qi and Yan Ke to handle individually, but there were too many.
Simple addition and subtraction are easy, but doing a thousand problems in a short time?
Facing the flood of words and techniques, the three young masters exchanged glances.
Bo Yue sat cross-legged and waved his hands, sending out two array discs, one in each hand, saying, "I'll categorize them, matching your reasoning and techniques."
Li Qi took a deep breath and activated his memory, "I'll handle the refutations."
Yan Ke nodded, "I'll take care of the techniques."
The trio worked seamlessly, quickly reaching an agreement.
Bo Yue placed the two array discs at the forefront, swiftly dissecting words and techniques, categorizing them. In an instant, he sorted through countless pieces of data, numbered them, marked them, then distributed the voices and techniques to Li Qi and Yan Ke respectively.
Li Qi heard countless voices simultaneously.
These were sounds transmitted by Bo Yue.
These low murmurs hit him like waves, momentarily overwhelming him.
Fortunately, Bo Yue had marked them, preventing confusion.
He stepped back and steadied himself.
True Dao Resonance fully activated!
All senses focused on the sounds!
Bo Yue had already sorted them, so Li Qi didn't need to distinguish between mixed statements.
With True Dao Resonance, he quickly processed each statement and responded, sending the information back to Bo Yue.
Bo Yue received the messages and used his array disc to transmit responses back into the crowd.
On the other side, Yan Ke faced endless techniques.
Countless chaotic yet profound powers swirled around him, all based on ancient sages' principles.
Like lightning strikes, ripples spread, suddenly gathering strength, layer upon layer, twisting together, building momentum, crashing toward Yan Ke.
In an instant, the sky darkened, wind howling fiercely, as if unstoppable.
Fortunately, Yan Ke only needed to focus on breaking the techniques, not thinking of refutations.
He began dismantling them.
Every technique's weakness, every foundation.
Without Li Qi's True Dao Resonance, he couldn't fully comprehend these techniques' forms.
But he had his own methods.
When Yan Ke was still Ninth Rank, he guided an entire small world, adept at handling intricate details.
Moreover, that small world had a rare special cosmic light.
He took out that small world, gently tapping it.
The restrictions placed by the Great Shaman unfolded, revealing an odd fluctuation from the thumb-sized compressed world.
Yan Ke's speed increased.
No, not his speed, but time around him shifted.
Using this differential, he had more time to deal with the techniques.
The trio coordinated, facing attacks from hundreds!
But at this moment, outside the crowd, Liu Junyi stopped.
He did not join the assault.
Deputy Minister Zhong Minglou frowned and asked, "Junyi, why stop?"
Liu Junyi bowed respectfully, answering, "This isn't a fight to the death, how can I take advantage of someone in distress? With hundreds already attacking, what difference does one more make?"
"You can see that any one of the three against you would result in a draw. Now, with three being restrained, your intervention would seal the victory," Deputy Minister Zhong said.
But the latter part was silent, only heard in Liu Junyi's mind, evidently secret transmission, even undetected by the Great Shaman opposite.
Liu Junyi glanced at Zhong Minglou, who was still inactive.
"Their fourth member hasn't joined yet. Intervening now would merely lead to another stalemate. Besides, this is just a competition, not a matter for mass assault—it's not what a gentleman would do."
Deputy Minister Zhong was furious, almost twisting his nose in anger.