Chapter 932: Schemes in Chess Moves—A Hundred Schools of Thought Contend

As *Yellow Springs* gradually caused a ripple effect in the outside world, the book's origin remained known to some well-informed individuals. It was the Haoran Academy, overseen by the Sage of Literature, and naturally, more people wished to visit it.

Although the book had been officially printed and distributed throughout Great Zhen, Ji Yuan, Yin Zhaoxian, and Wang Li had only just completed the initial stages of their work. The other two could now relax and anticipate the results, but Ji Yuan's tasks were far from finished.

There were now six people in Yin Zhaoxian's small courtyard: Yin Qing and Yin Zhong from the Yin family, and Xin Wuya, who had traveled specially from the Netherworld Hall to write the preface.

Only six volumes of *Yellow Springs* had been published so far, with three more unreleased. These unreleased volumes were not yet complete, and they contained sensitive topics like reincarnation and deeper principles of the universe, which still required careful deliberation.

Even if the remaining three volumes were never published or distributed widely, *Yellow Springs* would still be considered a remarkable book in every sense, containing countless personal insights.

Beyond the "Dao" Ji Yuan inscribed and illustrated, Yin Zhaoxian wove his years of literary insights into the book, using Wang Li's stories as a framework. While some of the tales about scholars appeared sensual, they primarily conveyed profound literary principles and reasoning. Ji Yuan believed these sections could even serve as a guide for literary cultivation.

Yet, Ji Yuan considered this both a blessing and a great regret. Yin Zhaoxian's Haoran Zhengqi had become so powerful that it resonated with the celestial stars, far surpassing a certain limit even before he fully grasped the literary path himself. While his spirit and the righteous qi were unified, his physical body had been left far behind. Although the qi could slowly nourish his body, its rate of growth vastly outpaced the body's ability to keep up.

Thus, unlike Zuo Wuji, who directly surpassed his limits to forge a martial arts path, Yin Zhaoxian's spirit and Haoran Zhengqi in the literary world had long broken through their boundaries. Despite his body also being nourished by the qi, the gap between his spirit and physical form continued to widen.

This phenomenon resembled a gravitational effect based on qualitative differences: any elixir given to Yin Zhaoxian would split, with only a tiny fraction nourishing his physical body, while the vast majority would be assimilated by his Haoran Zhengqi, which was intrinsically linked to his spirit. The physical nourishment was thus negligible, and the effect on the immense Haoran Zhengqi was equally insignificant.

Nevertheless, as a master of the literary path, Yin Zhaoxian possessed profound self-awareness and foresight. After resigning from his official post, he became even more committed to educating all of humanity and sentient beings. Consequently, he placed immense importance on his future works, aiming to infuse them with his understanding of literature. This dedication was so great that he hadn't published a single book in the years since his retirement; *Yellow Springs* was his first.

Therefore, it was not difficult to imagine the impact *Yellow Springs*, a book of both renown and quality, would have on the world of literature.

Unlike the six volumes of *Yellow Springs* available to the public, Yin Zhaoxian's courtyard held the original manuscripts and extended versions of the book. Yin Qing was utterly engrossed, and at that moment, he was urging Yin Zhong to read some of the original text with him.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful!" Yin Qing exclaimed. "Humans and ghosts walk separate paths, and even ghosts and deities are constrained by the devotion of their followers and the land they govern. But if there's a next life, there will be far fewer regrets! Cough, cough, cough..."

Dressed in a thick, deep-blue velvet robe, Yin Qing occasionally coughed as he read, but a fleeting cold could not diminish his enthusiasm. Despite his high official rank, he was fundamentally a scholar and a lover of engaging tales, having always enjoyed such stories.

Although Yin Qing's hair was already streaked with gray, his relatively unwrinkled and energetic face made him appear far younger than sixty; he resembled a handsome, slightly aged middle-aged man, with a charm that surpassed his younger days.

Yin Zhong, on the other hand, now exuded a powerful presence. Though dressed in a dark robe and velvet cloak within the Haoran Academy, he gave the impression of being clad in military uniform.

"Brother, you are absolutely right," Yin Zhong said. "It's a shame the last three volumes of *Yellow Springs* aren't finished yet. But at least we here at Haoran Academy get to read a volume and a half more than anyone else, hahaha..."

When Yin Zhong laughed, the air around him vibrated with his voice, yet the energy remained within three feet of his body. Standing there, he resembled a steel spear. Besides his martial aura, various forms of battle qi subtly emanated from behind him, giving the impression that thousands of battle-hardened elites were forming a unified military presence at his back.

"It's a pity Father, Mr. Ji, and Mr. Wang didn't involve me earlier," Yin Zhong continued. "Otherwise, I would have liked to incorporate some of my military strategies. Training and nurturing troops—whether facing thousands of cavalry or a forest of demons, wherever the blade points, everything will be swept away!"

Xin Wuya stood by Ji Yuan's desk, occasionally picking up a brush to jot down his insights and thoughts on reincarnation, in addition to perusing the texts. At that moment, he looked up at the Yin family master, reflecting on Ji Yuan's earlier words.

'Indeed,' he mused, 'the literary and martial paths are the cornerstones of humanity's great destiny. If cultivators across the world merely believe that humanity has produced two Sages—one literary, one martial—and that the Literary and Martial Temples have established their fate, they will likely be greatly surprised within three generations...'

Meanwhile, Ji Yuan continued to paint various colors on the small pages of a book using his unique technique. While the final three volumes of *Yellow Springs* might not be suitable for mass distribution—or perhaps each volume was best suited for specific audiences—one thing was certain: all nine volumes of *Yellow Springs* had to be completed to align with the cosmic order.

At that moment, outside the Haoran Academy, the elder dragon Ying Hong and the dragon girl Ying Ruoli were approaching from the street. Ji Yuan had sent for them, and Yin Zhaoxian had already dispatched someone to wait at the academy entrance to guide them in.

Upon seeing the elder dragon and dragon girl approach, the old master immediately recognized them as the distinguished guests he was waiting for. The elder's dignified presence and the young woman's grace and beauty truly made them stand out.

"Haoran Academy," the old dragon murmured, "it's more interesting than I imagined!"

The old dragon muttered softly to himself, and the dragon girl also seemed thoughtful. The master waiting at the gate exchanged a word with the other two gatekeepers, then quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Excuse me," he asked, "are you Elder Ying and Miss Ying?"

The old dragon looked at the scholar with amusement, then turned to his daughter.

"Heh, Miss Ying?"

Ying Ruoli smiled; although it was a common address, it felt as though she hadn't been called that in hundreds of years. She nodded and replied, "Indeed."

"Excellent," the master said. "Please follow me. The Dean and Mr. Ji instructed me to wait here for you. Please come in!"

The academy's gatekeepers, of course, offered no obstruction; instead, they also bowed to the Ying father and daughter, recognizing them as the Dean's esteemed guests. The old dragon and dragon girl simply returned a shallow bow before following their guide inside.

Once inside the academy, the old dragon overheard the two gatekeepers discussing *Yellow Springs*.

"The Dean is the venerable Sage of Literature," one said. "Mr. Wang Li is also a renowned novelist. And Mr. Ji is most likely the esteemed figure from the legendary Dragon Transformation Banquet, or at least closely connected. But who exactly is this Mr. Xin Wuya?"

"Yes," the other replied, "I truly don't know who this Mr. Xin is. But anyone whose name is on the book surely isn't simple. It's just that I haven't seen any of his other works, and he's not even at the academy. How did he write the preface?"

Xin Wuya had arrived at night, unseen by anyone. Moreover, meals delivered to the courtyard had always been three portions, at most later supplemented by two more for the Yin brothers, so no one in Haoran Academy knew that Mr. Xin had already arrived.

The old man tilted his head, smiled, and continued walking. The master accompanying them, observing their reactions and driven by curiosity, thought for a moment and then asked, "Elder Ying, do you perhaps know who that Mr. Xin is?"

The old dragon chuckled. "Of course, I do," he replied. "Those two colleagues of yours were discussing Xin Wuya's other works. They should be able to see them after they pass on."

"Pass on?" the master repeated, puzzled.

The master was momentarily stunned. The dragon girl beside him shook her head helplessly, wondering why her father would make such a joke. She then clarified, "My dear master, Mr. Xin is the Netherworld Emperor of the underworld. That's why my father said people might see his other works after they pass on."

The Netherworld Emperor!

The master's heart skipped a beat. Good heavens, *Yellow Springs* indeed spoke much of the underworld, but he had never imagined that among its preface writers was the Netherworld Emperor himself.

Although he didn't know the exact status or divine rank of "Netherworld Emperor," he could roughly infer its significance from the literal meaning.

'Wait,' he thought, 'these two are surnamed Ying?'

He hadn't initially considered it, but since Xin Wuya was the Netherworld Emperor and these two had so easily revealed it, the master subconsciously began to view his distinguished guests in a supernatural light. This made him recall their surname, which he had previously overlooked.

'Could the two people beside me be dragons?' he wondered.

The thought itself was thrilling, and the master jolted, yet he felt no fear. He remained composed but became subtly more courteous.

"Thank you both for clarifying," he said, "Now I can boast a little in front of my colleagues and the academy's students, hahaha..."

The old dragon observed the master's reaction. "For a mere teaching master to possess such composure," he thought, "this truly is the domain of the Sage of Literature!"

In the small courtyard, the Xiezhi, which had not spoken for eight years, suddenly transmitted a thought directly into Ji Yuan's mind.

"Ji Yuan," the Xiezhi's voice resonated, "you set this chess move in motion a long time ago, didn't you?"

Ji Yuan's brush did not falter, and his expression remained serene. His spiritual reply, however, was somewhat indirect.

"This move," he conveyed, "is known as the phenomenon of a hundred schools of thought contending."