Chapter 1558: Dominating the Inner Realm – You Dare!

Ten years of lecturing, welcoming scholars from across the world!

This news spread out from Su City, through various channels, and eventually permeated the entire State of Zhao, causing the countless people who doubted Wang Lin to be dumbstruck the moment they heard it.

Su Dao had also lectured, but only for a period of one year.

Yet this Wang Lin actually spoke of a ten-year term; such a thing could no longer be described as bold, it was almost extremely arrogant!

The so-called lecturing was just like a challenge in the Martial Forest, welcoming scholars from all over the world to come and battle at any time within these ten years!

After this news spread, following a brief calm, it immediately incited a violent backlash. With the secret push from the countless scholars and high-ranking officials who doubted Wang Lin, as well as the Emperor of the State of Zhao, everyone in the State of Zhao who believed they were qualified flocked to set off for Su City.

A thousand miles away from Su City, in an inn by the official road, there were many travelers, including many scholars and students, who were buzzing with discussion, all of which was about Wang Lin's lectures in Su City.

"Have you heard? Su Dao's student, Wang Lin, has made a bold proclamation to lecture for ten years! Ten years! This matter has shocked the world, especially those who previously doubted him, who have all set off."

"Heh, this matter is already known to everyone. If you ask me, this Wang Lin possesses some talent, but to say he is a Great Scholar of our State of Zhao, he still lacks the qualifications."

"I don't think so. How could he speak of ten years if he was just talking nonsense? I heard that a few days ago, dozens of scholars went to visit him and returned convinced."

A soft snort came from a table near the window in the inn, where four people were sitting—three young men and one old man.

The old man was drinking tea, listening to the surrounding conversation, his expression calm, yet hiding disdain.

"A mere scholar's title, yet he dares to lecture like others! Master should never have accepted him back then! This title of Great Scholar should belong to me, Su Yi!"

Similar things were happening in many places within the State of Zhao, and the closer one got to Su City, the more frequent these occurrences became.

Inside Su City, at the former residence of Su Dao, the main gate remained wide open, not to be closed for ten years.

Wang Lin sat calmly in the courtyard of the residence, drinking Osmanthus wine, coldly watching the hundreds of scholars densely packed before him.

Since he announced the ten-year lecture, four months had passed. In these four months, over a thousand people had successively stepped into the residence.

Today, hundreds more had come one after another, now filling the courtyard, with some standing outside the gate. Even further out, there were countless carriages, and inside those carriages sat old men.

Further away, as time passed, many scholars from the State of Zhao had arrived in Su City within these four months.

"I am Dong Yun, a scholar from the same year as you, Master. I have now entered officialdom and am a court official. I have come here today to seek an answer from you, Master."

A middle-aged scholar walked out of the crowd. His expression revealed a sense of arrogance, and he stood straight.

"I do not understand the meaning behind the changes of the four seasons of heaven and earth. I hope you, Master, can enlighten me." The middle-aged scholar looked at Wang Lin and cupped his hands slightly.

"You are born in spring, grow in summer, fall ill and age in autumn, and close your eyes in winter. The spring, summer, autumn, and winter you ask about are, in my eyes, birth, aging, illness, and death!" Wang Lin took a sip of wine.

"Then why must there be birth, aging, illness, and death?" The middle-aged scholar was stunned by Wang Lin's answer and spoke up.

"Because you are still alive." Wang Lin spoke leisurely.

The middle-aged scholar stood there, dazed. After a long while, his eyes showed confusion; he did not understand.

"At the moment you close your eyes and die, when you look back on your life, from birth to death, this process cannot escape the four seasons. See him out!"

Wang Lin flicked his wide sleeve, and servants immediately came up to lead the middle-aged scholar, whose mind was shaken and who seemed to vaguely understand something, away.

"May I ask you, Master? I am well-read and consider my talent superior to others. In the past, when meeting fellow scholars, no one was more knowledgeable than me. Yet why have others entered officialdom and achieved success, while I have remained down and out for thirty years?"

An old man with a dejected expression, carrying confusion, bowed to Wang Lin.

"The State of Zhao has mountains, some high and some low. High mountains may not necessarily become peaks, and low mountains may not necessarily fail to form ranges. You compare yourself by the height of the mountain; why not look at the bigger picture? Whether high or low, they are all mountains! See him out!"

The crowd was in an uproar. Countless scholars were shaken to their core, their eyes filled with contemplation.

"I wish to ask you, Master: Why is there rain in this world, and what is that rain?" A young man who could not squeeze into the crowd shouted loudly.

"That is a good question!" Wang Lin stood up, picked up his wine pot, and walked up the stairs to the side until he stepped onto the highest point. He looked down at the dense crowd below. Today's events were unusual; so many people had come at the same time. Wang Lin even looked into the distance, seeing more people rushing from the streets outside the residence.

The entire Su City was almost surging. Every scholar who had come here, except for those who had inquired in the previous few months, had almost all arrived.

Eventually, Wang Lin's gaze fell outside the residence, into a restaurant. From his position, he could see a middle-aged man sitting inside that restaurant.

This man wore fine clothes, his expression stern and commanding without anger. He sat there drinking wine, with many guards behind him. His cold gaze fell upon the Su residence opposite, landing on Wang Lin, who stood on the highest step.

Looking at Wang Lin, the middle-aged man's eyes revealed gloom. He looked at the other party as if he saw Su Dao from back then.

Beside him sat two young men wearing Daoist robes; these two young men had their eyes closed, their expressions calm.

"Su Dao is dead, and he must die too. My State of Zhao does not need a Great Scholar! But he cannot die at the hands of us Mortals. I must trouble the two Immortals with this matter. I will certainly satisfy all the Immortals' demands."

"A mere Mortal, if you want him to die, he will die." One of the two youths in Daoist robes spoke slowly with an arrogant expression.

Wang Lin took a sip of wine, his expression revealing a carefree nature, and looked at the young man who had asked the question.

"I once heard a phrase in a dream, and I will gift it to you: This rain is born from the sky and dies on the earth; the process of flowing in between is a life!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the uproar rose to the heavens. As it was passed around, even those outside heard it. Among the many old men in the carriages outside the courtyard, more than half had moved expressions, and several old men stood up in silence, bowed to Wang Lin from afar, summoned their servants, and left.

With just this one sentence, they knew that the title of Great Scholar was by no means an empty reputation!

"I have heard that you, Master, followed the Scholar Su for over ten years and have astonishing knowledge. I wish to ask, why are there Immortals in this world, and why do they treat us Mortals as ants?"

An aged voice came from outside the courtyard. The surrounding scholars dispersed, revealing an old man walking slowly toward them.

This old man clearly possessed extremely high prestige. Wang Lin did not recognize him, but many people here knew him and bowed respectfully.

"Immortals have power, and that power merges with their hearts, making their hearts infinitely large, which is why they view Mortals as ants. However, if you have thoughts, and your thoughts are infinitely inclusive of heaven and earth, and you understand all principles, then when you look at an Immortal, they are still an Immortal, but without that sense of awe. If you view the Immortal as an ant, what does it matter!"

Wang Lin took a sip of wine and laughed heartily.

The old man's body shook, he muttered to himself for a moment, then bowed to Wang Lin with a trembling body. Supported by his attendants, he turned and walked out.

With the inquiries of each scholar, and with Wang Lin's hearty laughter and words amidst sips of Osmanthus wine, more and more scholars bowed and left, occasionally looking back at Wang Lin with a newfound respect.

However, while many people left, even more were pouring in from the outside.

"Master, the ancient saying goes, the ears are pleased by the sound of the zither…" The scholar was interrupted by Wang Lin before he could finish.

"I have forgotten the literary works I studied. What I have realized are the principles of heaven and earth, and what I possess are my own thoughts. As for these literary phrases, I have forgotten them; do not ask again!"

"Master, Scholar Su spent his life exploring the theory of Karma. This theory of Karma has existed for thousands of years, yet no one knows its truth, and no one has seen its source. I wish to ask you, Master, have you understood it? Can you tell me so that I may also understand?"

"Karma is Karma. It does not need to be understood; it can only be experienced, and it cannot even be put into words. If you understand, you understand. If you do not understand, even if I talk about it for ten years, you still will not understand!"

Wang Lin tilted his head back, finished the wine in the pot in one gulp, and threw it to the side.

"Dafu, bring more wine!"

Dafu, feeling proud, no longer felt the pain of the cost, and quickly took out a pot and ran to Wang Lin's side to hand it over.

"I wish to ask Scholar Wang: You previously said that if one's thoughts are infinitely large, they can encompass heaven and earth, lose the heart of fear, and view Immortals as ants. Can you achieve this?"

The speaker was a gloomy-faced old man. This old man was in the crowd, staring at Wang Lin, his hoarse voice echoing.

Wang Lin recognized him; he was Su Dao's first student, Su Yi, who had already become a court official!

"Why couldn't I!" Wang Lin laughed heartily and took a sip of wine.

But the very moment he finished speaking, in the restaurant outside the residence, one of the two youths in Daoist robes sitting beside the middle-aged man—the one who had spoken earlier—suddenly opened his eyes. His body flickered, and a heaven-shaking whistle suddenly boomed. He transformed into a long rainbow, directly tearing through the sky, rapidly sweeping over the crowd below, and headed straight for Wang Lin.

"Ignorant ant, showing no respect for an Immortal, you must pay with your life!"

The gloomy voice revealed a supreme majesty. As soon as the words were spoken, heaven and earth boomed. The scholars and students below all changed color, and in their terror, they all knelt down together.

"An Immortal!"

"It's actually an Immortal!"

"Wang Lin is disrespectful to Immortals, and now an Immortal has come to punish him. This is his just deserts!"

The long rainbow whistled, and the cold light of a sword within it was biting. The youth in the Daoist robe held a sword, and with contempt and disdain, he swept across, instantly approaching Wang Lin.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Just as the Daoist-robed youth approached, Wang Lin's expression was stern and commanding without anger. Without the slightest bit of fear, he let out a low roar toward the sky.

"You dare!!"

As soon as these words were spoken, an aura of vast righteousness boomed out from within his body, forming an invisible pressure that directly enveloped heaven and earth. Heaven and earth roared, and countless thunderbolts directly whistled and wandered. As lightning intertwined, it seemed as if it wanted to tear this heaven and earth apart. The originally bright world changed color in this instant!

This sudden change caused the countless scholars kneeling below to change their expressions drastically, and it even made the middle-aged man in the restaurant outside the residence tremble, his wine cup shaking, and his face turning pale.

"Impossible!!"

The other youth in the Daoist robe beside him suddenly opened his eyes, revealing an expression of disbelief, and even more terror in his eyes.