Chapter 113

Chapter 113: My Word Is Truth!

Ye Tianming nodded, “Alright.”

He did not refuse, nor could he refuse, because he needed more cultivation resources, and relying solely on the ancient pre-civilization was definitely not enough — after all, the ancient pre-civilization could not possibly defeat the Yang family either.

Zhantai Zhan stared at Ye Tianming, “When you go in, remember — be yourself.”

Be myself?

Ye Tianming was a little puzzled.

Zhantai Zhan said, “Go on in.”

Ye Tianming glanced at her, then walked toward the great hall in the distance. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, and placed the small pagoda and the Xingdao Sword on the ground where he stood.

The small pagoda asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”

Ye Tianming said, “Tower Ancestor, Xiaodao — I can’t bring you with me.”

The small pagoda didn’t understand, “Why not?”

Ye Tianming looked at the small pagoda and Xiaodao, and said earnestly, “Tower Ancestor, Xiaodao — I know you are both special, incredibly special. If I bring you along, there’s a good chance the examiner inside will take notice of me because of you. But that’s not what I want.”

The small pagoda still didn’t understand, “But why?”

Ye Tianming said nothing, turned around, and walked toward the great hall.

The small pagoda was about to say something more when Zhantai Zhan suddenly spoke, “What’s wrong with that broken brain of yours?”

The small pagoda: “…….”

Zhantai Zhan said, “Still don’t get it? He doesn’t want to rely on you two — he wants to earn this inheritance on his own.”

The small pagoda said, “What’s wrong with relying on us to get the inheritance?”

Zhantai Zhan shook her head, “You pig-brained thing.”

The small pagoda: “…….”

Zhantai Zhan looked toward Ye Tianming in the distance, and a faint ripple stirred within her otherwise calm gaze, “This person harbors soaring ambitions……”

Clearly, Ye Tianming had taken her earlier words to heart — relying on others to be lifted up would never get you to the top of the mountain.

She hadn’t expected that not only had Ye Tianming listened, he had immediately gone and acted on it.

Unity of knowledge and action!

At this moment, Zhantai Zhan truly began to regard Ye Tianming with a measure of seriousness — though, of course, only just a little.

Because across the endless ages, she had seen far too many geniuses and prodigies.

The small pagoda said, “Woman, is this examination very difficult?”

Zhantai Zhan said, “With a brain like yours, not even another ten billion years would make it possible.”

The small pagoda: “…….”

Zhantai Zhan looked toward the great hall in the distance, “He almost certainly won’t succeed either.”

The small pagoda said, “Why?”

Zhantai Zhan said, “The Ancient Philosophy Sect is a vast school of thought. Many of their views have shaped the understanding of countless civilizations. A sixteen-year-old boy could not possibly hold his own in a debate against them.”

The small pagoda laughed and said, “If it’s an examination of scholarship, then I’m not worried at all.”

Zhantai Zhan looked at the small pagoda, and the small pagoda said, “Anyone I’ve taught — their scholarship is absolutely top-notch.”

Zhantai Zhan shook her head, “You taught him……. then it’s even more hopeless. Just wait to collect his corpse!”

The small pagoda: “…….”

After a moment, the small pagoda said, “You’re so capable — do you know about the Law of All Beings?”

Zhantai Zhan paused slightly, “You mean the Law of All Beings created by the one who once forced a single strand of divine consciousness into the real world?”

The small pagoda was somewhat stunned, “You actually know about that.”

Zhantai Zhan said, “He was the second person to step into the true world after the Sword Master Guanxuan, even if it was only a fleeting moment. What of it?”

The small pagoda said, “He is this little one’s teacher.”

Zhantai Zhan immediately turned and walked toward the great hall.

The small pagoda asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”

Zhantai Zhan said, “If he is the student of the one who created the ‘Law of All Beings’, then I’m actually a little interested now.”

The small pagoda: “……”

When Ye Tianming arrived before the great hall, its doors slowly swung open. Inside the hall, just as outside, three jade stone statues stood tall. Each statue was lifelike. The leftmost statue pointed to the sky with its right hand, gazing toward the rightmost statue, while the rightmost statue pointed to the ground with its left hand, gazing back equally toward the leftmost.

The statue standing at the very center between the two held a stone sword in its left hand and cradled an ancient tome in its right, head bowed in contemplation over the book.

Along both sides of the hall, twelve more statues floated in the air, each one holding an ancient tome.

Just as Ye Tianming was puzzling over this, the sound of footsteps came from behind him.

Ye Tianming turned to look — it was none other than Zhantai Zhan.

Zhantai Zhan looked at him, “I came to have a look.”

With that, she glanced at the three statues, then said, “Pay your respects.”

Ye Tianming obediently bowed to the three statues.

After he finished, Zhantai Zhan said, “Do one for me as well.”

Ye Tianming: “……”

Zhantai Zhan turned to look at Ye Tianming, “They deserve my respect. However, my identity does not permit me to bow to them.”

Ye Tianming dutifully bowed on her behalf.

At that moment, the twelve statues around the hall suddenly began to stir, and soon twelve elderly figures dressed in white robes appeared on both sides of the hall.

One of them, a white-haired elder with a white beard, cradling an ancient tome, slowly walked up to Ye Tianming. He glanced at Zhantai Zhan and Ye Tianming, “Which of you two is here?”

Ye Tianming stepped forward and bowed, “This junior.”

The elder looked Ye Tianming over and smiled faintly, “The examination of our Ancient Philosophy Sect is simple — it is a dialectical debate.”

Ye Tianming took a deep breath and nodded, “Please present the topic, senior.”

The elder said, “Sit.”

A meditation cushion appeared behind Ye Tianming.

A meditation cushion appeared behind the elder as well. He sat down, crossed his legs, and rested both hands on his knees.

Ye Tianming also sat down cross-legged.

The elder looked at Ye Tianming and said with a smile, “All people in this world seek ‘truth’. My question is — does absolute ‘truth’ exist in this world?”

Ye Tianming froze.

The elder looked at him and waited quietly for an answer.

Ye Tianming fell silent. After roughly a full quarter of an hour, he finally said, “It does.”

The elder opened his palm, and a piece of fruit appeared in his hand, “Have a taste.”

Ye Tianming glanced at him, picked up the fruit, and took a bite. After a moment, the elder asked, “Is it good?”

Ye Tianming nodded, “It’s good.”

The elder fixed his gaze on him, “Yet I find it not good at all.”

Ye Tianming froze.

The elder smiled and said, “The same piece of fruit — you find it good, yet I find it not good. What does this tell us? It tells us that a thing has as many perspectives and qualities as there are people who perceive it. Based on this, there is simply no absolute truth in this world, because different standpoints mean that each of us observes things differently. What is good for you may be bad for someone else, and what is bad for you may be good for someone else……. In other words, knowledge and truth are relative to each individual.”

With that, he looked at Ye Tianming, “Please refute this.”

Zhantai Zhan turned to look at Ye Tianming. Ye Tianming gripped the fruit tightly in his right hand, momentarily at a loss for words.

Refute it?

How was he supposed to refute it?

Was the other person wrong?

But he felt it was entirely right!

In an instant, cold sweat began to run down him. He could feel the terrifying logical force within those words — a force so airtight that he could find no way to counter it. And what was worse, deep within his heart, he found himself somewhat in agreement with this logical theory.

But no!

Something was wrong!

Ye Tianming clenched his left hand tightly. He sensed something was off, but his thoughts were in disarray.

The elder said nothing, only watching him quietly.

Zhantai Zhan was also watching Ye Tianming.

The entire hall was so still that a falling pin could be heard.

And gradually, Ye Tianming’s lifespan began to drain away — and not slowly either. At this rate, in at most a quarter of an hour, his lifespan would be exhausted and he would perish on the spot.

A flicker of disappointment crossed the elder’s eyes. He said, “Then let us end it here……”

“Wrong!”

Ye Tianming suddenly spoke.

The elder looked at Ye Tianming, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes, “Why is it wrong?”

Ye Tianming stared at the elder, “Senior, if we follow your line of reasoning, then everything in this world is relative — everything is open to doubt.”

The elder smiled, “Is that not so?”

Ye Tianming shook his head repeatedly, “No, no……”

The elder looked at Ye Tianming, “Then please refute it.”

Ye Tianming suddenly looked at the elder, “Senior, are you a person?”

Everyone: “…….”

The elder nodded, “I am.”

Ye Tianming stared at the elder, “Every person is different — in height, intelligence, appearance, and so on, or in matters of taste. When one person looks at another, they may arrive at different conclusions. For instance, one person might find senior handsome, while another might find senior ugly……. As senior said, different standpoints and personal preferences give rise to different views. However, there is one undeniable fact that no one can refute!”

The elder was somewhat expectant and asked, “What is it?”

Ye Tianming stared fixedly at the elder, “That is the fact that senior is a person. No matter whether one finds you ugly or handsome, or holds any other opinion, none of it can change the certain fact that senior is a person.”

Inside the hall, the elder and the eleven other elders beside him all broke into smiles.

Ye Tianming took a deep breath and then said, “Opinions are opinions, and facts are facts. There are many opinions in this world, but a fact is a fact……”

With that, he looked at the fruit in his hand, “No matter whether it tastes good or not, that cannot change one certain fact — that it is a piece of fruit.”

After Ye Tianming finished speaking, his lifespan continued to drain away, and white strands began to appear in his hair.

The elder asked, “So does this fruit taste good or not?”

“It doesn’t matter!”

Ye Tianming stared hard at the elder before him, “The universe is complex. Different civilizations mean different cultural attributes, different cultural attributes mean different perspectives, and different perspectives give rise to different facts and truths. This has led countless people throughout the world to believe that everything is relative, that everything is open to doubt.”

The elder asked again, “Then is there absolute truth or not?”

“There is not!”

Ye Tianming bowed deeply, “It is precisely because there is no absolute truth that we scholars must strive with all our might to redefine……. truth!!”

Redefine truth!

The moment those words were spoken, every bit of lifespan that had drained from Ye Tianming was instantly restored.

And inside the hall, all twelve elders broke into laughter together.

Zhantai Zhan looked long and hard at Ye Tianming.

The Ancient Philosophy Sect had three great pursuits, and the first of them was: to redefine truth.

And this was also their core pursuit and the founding creed of their sect!

The more truths one defined, the stronger one became.

And what was truth?

Simply put, it meant that what you said was right, and all people in the world should abide by it.

My word is truth — let all people obey!

Before Ye Tianming, the elder’s expression suddenly softened with warmth, “Please rise.”

Ye Tianming stood up, and the elder rose along with him. He produced a black ancient tome and a wooden staff.

Upon seeing these two items, Zhantai Zhan beside him was immediately taken aback. Ye Tianming did not recognize these two divine artifacts, but she certainly did.

The True Word Book!

The Ancient Philosophy Staff!

The two supreme divine artifacts of the Ancient Philosophy Sect!

The True Word Book contained nine True Words within it. The one who held the book could invoke all nine True Words, and the power of each one……. was beyond the comprehension of this universe — not only beyond the comprehension of this universe, but beyond the comprehension of the current true world as well!

It could be said that, apart from the Sword Master Guanxuan and Mu Guanchen who created the Law of All Beings, no one in the universe below could withstand even a single True Word — not even the lowest-ranked one.

And the Ancient Philosophy Staff was also supremely terrifying,He could directly mobilize the Guzhe Divine Guards that Guzhe Sect had trained.

The Guzhe Divine Guards!

Those were terrifying existences that had once slaughtered their way through the three great forbidden zones.

The elder placed the “Scripture of True Words” and the “Guzhe Staff” into Ye Tianming’s hands and smiled faintly, “Worthy of being Pavilion Master Qin’s grandson, truly outstanding.”

Ye Tianming was immediately stunned, “Pavilion Master Qin?”

The elder asked in confusion, “Are you not Yang Jia?”

Ye Tianming looked at the elder, “This junior’s surname is Ye, given name Tianming.”

The moment those words came out, all the elders present froze. The reason they had come here was for Yang Jia.

Just then, the elder standing before Ye Tianming suddenly raised his head and gazed toward the far end of the sky, where a white-robed young man came walking over.

That white-robed young man was none other than Yang Jia!

When the twelve elders inside the hall saw Yang Jia, they noticed something, and their pupils all suddenly contracted. They then exchanged glances with one another, their eyes filled with shock. Shortly after, they looked back at Ye Tianming standing before them.

Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what decision to make.

Ye Tianming waited quietly, but soon, all twelve of them raised their heads again to look at Yang Jia.

The twelve began communicating through their divine senses:

“This Ye Tianming is not bad either……”

“But that Yang Jia is more outstanding.”

“Both are fine.”

“Still, let it be Yang Jia!”

“Why?”

“Pavilion Master Qin…… the Yang family’s ancestor, the Azure-Robed Sword Master……”

Everyone fell silent.

Yang Jia represented not just one person, but the entire Yang family, and the strength of the entire Yang family…… only by relying on the full strength of the Yang family could Guzhe Sect possibly rise again.

Everyone hesitated no longer and nodded in unison.

Before Ye Tianming, the white-haired elder looked at him with a somewhat apologetic expression, “Young man, I’m sorry. The reason we of Guzhe Sect came to this universe was precisely for Yang Jia. You are so outstanding that I thought you were Yang Jia, this, this……”

Though he felt a little embarrassed, he still extended both hands.

After a brief silence, Ye Tianming returned the “Scripture of True Words” and the “Guzhe Staff” to the white-haired elder.

After the white-haired elder took back the “Scripture of True Words” and the “Guzhe Staff”, he led the remaining eleven elders out in person to welcome Yang Jia directly.

No assessment needed!

A personal welcome!

Nearby, Zhantai Zhan suddenly said, “What a Yang family, to have already paved the road all the way to the true world for this young lord of theirs.”

As she spoke, she turned to look at Ye Tianming, curious to see how he would react.

Ye Tianming said nothing. He turned and walked toward the exit, making his way to the small path and the small pagoda. The small pagoda hurriedly asked, “Little one, you passed, right? Haha!”

Ye Tianming shook his head slightly and said quietly, “No…… I’m sorry, Ancestor of the Pagoda, I was not capable enough. I’ve let you down.”