Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

The twenty-eight characters that Chen Changsheng had seen on the stone monolith formed a poem.

“The foggy woods are reflected in the smoky river water,

Houses with painted eaves on the banks are adjacent to each other.

Gently on the patches of lotuses shines the autumnal light.

The pearl-woven curtains are bathed in the fragrant wind of ten miles.”

This poem was written down by the leader of the Way two thousand years ago when he had viewed the monoliths in the mausoleum. The first Heavenly Tome monolith in the Mausoleum of Books was called Reflecting because of this poem.

Chen Changsheng used the comprehension method to extract this passage of monolith inscriptions, and understood its meaning.

This method of comprehension was actually very simple, and very primitive.

Countless years ago, when the Heavenly Tomes landed on the continent, the still-ignorant predecessors conquered their cowardice, and carefully arrived in front of this stone monolith.

The predecessor, who had first understood this stone monolith, also used a similar method. However, what he saw perhaps was a simple image. This image could be cows, sheep, or even dragons. Afterwards, some people saw even more complicated images in the Heavenly Tome Monoliths, with numbers and even more information. As a result, there were characters.

This method was also the cleanest, as it did not have any other distracting thoughts layering on top of it.

At the very beginning, these predecessors definitely did not believe that these weird stones hid secrets that needed to be understood, and would not believe that there was any flow of true essence in those lines.

Just like how he had discussed with Gou Hanshi before.

The leader of the Way two thousand years ago saw a poem from this Heavenly Tome monolith. He thought that this poem was a question. In the countless following years, countless cultivators had all once tried to find the true answer from this poem, but they always gained nothing.

Today, Chen Changsheng also saw the poem. However, this did not mean that he had used the completely same method of comprehension as that peerless expert from two thousand years ago. This was because he did not believe this poem was a question, and believed that this was what the Heavenly Tome monolith wanted to relay to others.

The daylight varied in brightness. Some lines showed, while others did not. The incomparably complicated lines could reveal countless words.

These words had countless permutations. They could form a poem, or they could form a great verse.

The stone monolith could not speak, and became a piece of text in itself.

He had sat in front of this stone monolith for over twenty days, and did not know how many characters he had seen. Now, he could find countless works of poetry that already existed in the mortal world. However, he understood very clearly that these poems all originated from the inscriptions of this Heavenly Tome monolith.

The comprehenders of the monoliths only needed to find it, see it, and understand it. They did not need other extra thoughts.

Of the myriad of monolith comprehension methods in the world, no matter if it was by idea, by shape or by moves, it was all to comprehend, learn, and copy the information on the monoliths.

However, the Heavenly Tome monoliths never waited for people to come comprehend, learn, and copy.

The Heavenly Tome monoliths always waited for people to come to understand it.

Chen Changsheng tried to demonstrate this point, and in the end, the Mausoleum of Books confirmed that his understanding was correct.

As a result, he comprehended the first Heavenly Tome monolith, and then saw the second monolith.

Deep within the dense forest, there was a monolith within the hut, and by the side of the monolith, there was also an engraved poem. This poem was raised by a certain renowned scholar, and the poem was called Cloud Piercing Stone.

TL: 贯云石, literal translation Cloud Piercing Stone, is an ancient Chinese poet.

The second Heavenly Tome monolith was called the Cloud Piercing Monolith because of this.

About twenty people sat on the outskirts around the monolith hut. Those people stared at the slightly flat and wide stone monolith within the hut. Some had their eyebrows furrowed and were in deep thought, while others mumbled to themselves.

Chen Changsheng arrived in front of the monolith, and saw a few familiar faces in the group of people.

That junior called Ye Xiaolian from the Holy Maiden peak raised her head as she heard the sound of footsteps. Seeing that the person was him, she could not help but stare blankly.

Some people also realized that Chen Changsheng had come, and stared blankly, just like her. In the past few days, those who had viewed the tablets in the Mausoleum of Books had already gotten used to seeing Chen Changsheng outside the Reflecting Monolith hut. However, today, they suddenly saw him arrive in front of the Cloud Piercing Monolith, and actually could not respond in time.

Only in the next moment did everybody realize. As it turned out, Chen Changsheng had finally comprehended the first Heavenly Tome monolith.

There were some slight disturbances in the people outside the monolith hut, and afterwards, there were provocative discussions.

“To only comprehend the first monolith now. What is there to be arrogant about?”

“Indeed. I always thought that my own talent in comprehension was bad, but looking at it now, at least it is better than some people’s.”

Chen Changsheng was not arrogant. However, his appearance brought a type of pressure to the people outside the monolith hut. It was just like a student who had extremely good grades suddenly place last in a certain subject. The students of the lower half would laugh at his misfortune for several days, before suddenly discovering that that student was actually slowly catching up, how could they not be worried?

Especially thinking of the mocking from several days ago, some people were bound to be slightly worried.

In order to rid themselves of this pressure, to wipe away their worry, even meaner mocking obviously occurred.

Chen Changsheng ignored these discussions, and continued forwards. Walking into the monolith hut, arriving in front of the Cloud Piercing Monolith, he raised his right hand.

There were cries of alarm from outside the monolith hut.

The news that Chen Changsheng had comprehended the Reflection Monolith was like the wind. It spread out of the mausoleum with lightning speed, entering various estates in the capital, and also spread to the royal palace and the Li palace.

Upon hearing this news, some people finally relaxed a little, such as the archbishop, Mei Lisha, while Prince Chen Liu’s happy laughter resounded throughout the prince’s estate. Mo Yu currently held a pen, and was dipping it in cinnabar. Hearing the report from her subordinate, she was slightly startled. She then said in a slightly joking manner, “Only comprehending the first tablet now. What sort of future does he have?”

Many students of the Heavenly Dao Academy were in a feast at a restaurant, so they naturally were bound to mention the Mausoleum of Books and comprehending monoliths. Just when they were laughing at Chen Changsheng and the Orthodox Academy, they received this news. The room immediately became silent, and a while later, a student laughed at him, “With this speed, whether Chen Changsheng is able to comprehend the second monolith in this year is still a problem. Senior Zhuang has already arrived in front of the third monolith. How can they be compared at all?”

Another student said with a sigh, “Gou Hanshi is even more terrifying. Can he be ranked within the top three in the past ten years?”

Hearing Gou Hanshi’s name, the previous student stayed silent for a while, before saying, “If he can maintain his comprehension speed, then perhaps he could be ranked with the top ten within the past hundred years.”

Just at this moment, a student of the Heavenly Dao Academy hurriedly sprinted to the second floor. His face was full of sweat, and carried an expression of fright that he could not hide. He said with a trembling voice, “Chen Changsheng……. has just comprehended the second monolith.

Hearing this, several students of the Heavenly Academy were greatly surprised, and all stood up in a rush. They actually knocked over several dishes of food and wine on the table.

They looked at the student, and asked consecutively in an disbelieving manner.

“What!”

“How is that possible!”

“Didn’t he just comprehend the first monolith? How can comprehend the second monolith so quickly?”

No one was able to answer their questions.

The restaurant immediately fell into a deathly stillness.

Of the seventeen monoliths of the front mausoleum, the third was called the Bent Osmanthus. It must be known that the further back the monoliths were, the harder they were to comprehend. He had only entered the monolith for twenty odd days, and had already arrived in front of the third monolith. It already could be said to be extremely outstanding.

Seeing Chen Changsheng appear, people were very surprised. It was because that morning, he had obviously been seen outside the first monolith hut. Did this not mean that he used the period of half a day to consecutively comprehend two monoliths? Tang Thirty-Six directly leapt up from the ground, and walked up to Chen Changsheng. With his two eyes rounded, he said, “I say, what are you doing?”

It seemed to be slightly ill-mannered, but in actuality, his eyes that looked at Chen Changsheng were full of joy.

Chen Changsheng did not know how to explain.

Zhexiu’s expression was still very indifferent. However, his eyes began to glow vaguely. He said, “There must be a reason.”

Chen Changsheng thought a little, and said, “Firstly, the Heavenly Tomes, should be tomes.”

Hearing this, some people outside the monolith hut seemed to fall into deep thought. Zhuang Huanyu instead gave out a cold sneer.

Chen Changsheng said to Tang Thirty-Six, “I will be leaving first.”

“You’re going to leave just like this? Well it is right, you should rest properly.”

Tang Thirty-six said subconsciously. For Chen Changsheng to use the period of half a day to comprehend two Heavenly Tome monoliths, it definitely would have taken up a lot of his mental strength, so he indeed should return to the grass hut to rest.

Chen Changsheng stared blankly, and pointed to the monolith hut. He said, “I am talking about over there.”

Tang Thirty-Six was stupefied. He stared blankly at him as Chen Changsheng walked to the front of the monolith and extended his hand towards it..

Seeing this, Zhuang Huanyu’s expression suddenly changed.

Zhong Hui, who sat in the monolith hut and always stayed silent, also became incomparably pale.

The fourth Heavenly Tome monolith was called the River Guiding Monolith. This monolith just happened to be on the side of a cliff, so its location was slightly dangerous.

There were many people in front of the monolith hut. Since entering the Mausoleum of Books to view the monoliths, nobody of the top three grades from the Grand Examination in the previous year had left. They were basically all there.

Qi Jian sat closest to the outer edge of the monolith hut. His skinny, weak body was buffeted by the wind from the cliff. It always gave people a tottering feeling.

Chen Changsheng was slightly surprised. This youngest junior of the Mount Li Sword Sect was actually had even faster comprehension than Guan Feibai and Liang Banhu.

Of course, those who were the most surprised were still Qi Jian and the others there.

Seeing him walk up to the side of Qi Jian and sitting down, people revealed a shocked expression.

Compared to the previous three Heavenly Tome monoliths, the inscriptions on the River Guiding Monolith were actually simpler. Speaking more precisely, it should have been that the lines on the monolith were just as complicated, but there already seemed to vaguely be some sort of rules. With rules, it was not necessarily a good matter to those who viewed the tablets, as their mind would instead be disturbed more easily, in other word, constraining them.

After saying a few words to Qi Jian, Chen Changsheng focused his gaze on the stone monolith, and began to study it seriously.

“Back then, how many days did it take us to reach the River Guiding Monolith?”

In the empty great hall of the Li Palace, the voice of a Sacred Hall archbishop resounded. He looked at the several dozens of sculptures of the virtuous members of previous generations. His expression was slightly disappointed, and there was also a sliver of shock visible in his eyes.

Another Sacred Hall archbishop, who was also one of the prefects of the Orthodoxy, did not answer the questions, and only said after a period of silence, “Although the front mausoleum is easy to comprehend, this is just a little too quick.”

Perhaps, some people viewed it as Chen Changsheng had used over twenty days to arrive in front of the fourth Heavenly Tome monolith, however he who was such great personage of the Orthodoxy naturally knew to not count in such a fashion. From comprehending monoliths to now, Chen Changsheng had only used the time of half a day, so it was just half a day.

“To reach Ethereal Opening in just a year of cultivation, and reach the River Guiding Monolith with half a day’s worth of comprehension…...He is worthy of being the child His Holiness has thought highly of.”

Conversations like this occurred everywhere in the capital. Only like this could it neutralize the wave that Chen Changsheng had created.

The current Chen Changsheng was no longer like before, directly moving on after comprehending a monolith. When the news of him sitting in front of the River Guiding Monolith was announced, many people relaxed at the same time. Those people did not antagonise Chen Changsheng, such as Prince Chen Liu and Priest Xin. They only felt that the whole thing was too unrealistic. At this moment, Chen Changsheng had stopped his advance, and instead made them feel that what occurred today was somewhat realistic. Gou Hanshi’s performance in the mausoleum in those days already shocked the entire capital. Chen Changsheng’s current performance was even more flabbergasting. If he were to continue, who would be able to stand it?

However, just like how it was often said, reality was often even more unbelievable than imagination. Not long after, everybody within the capital learnt a piece of news.

Chen Changsheng stood up from the side of the cliff.

He walked into the tablet hut.

He had finished comprehending the River Guiding Monolith.

Following closely, Chen Changsheng comprehended the fifth Heavenly Tome monolith— the Fowl Language Monolith.

Chen Changsheng arrived in front of the sixth Heavenly Tome monolith.

This monolith was called the Eastern Pavilion Monolith.

The person who placed first on the First Banner last year in the Grand Examination, Liang Xiaoxiao, the Third Law of the Divine Kingdom, had spent the past couple of months trying to comprehend this monolith.

When he saw Chen Changsheng, his cold and arrogant expression immediately disappeared, the only thing that remained in his gaze was shock and intense confusion.

Chen Changsheng nodded his head towards him in greeting. However, his steps never stopped.

In front of the seventh Heavenly Tome monolith, there was only Gou Hanshi himself.

He currently gazed at the far away mountains. Hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned around to only realize Chen Changsheng had actually come. He could not help but slightly raise a brow.

Chen Changsheng walked over to Gou Hanshi’s side.

Gou Hanshi stayed silent for a while, before saying, “Impressive.”

Chen Changsheng did not know what he should have said, so he did not speak.

Looking at him, Gou Hanshi began to feel deeply moved. He said, “For the first time, I feel that you may be a possible rival of my senior.”

His senior was Qiushan Jun. Even up til now, he had still felt that Chen Changsheng barely had the qualification.

Chen Changsheng stayed silent for a while, before saying, “There are still problems with the method of comprehension. It is just that there is not enough time, so I can only first proceed and then see how it goes.”

Gou Hanshi sighed, “First proceed and see how it goes? If someone else were to hear these words, other than resentment, what else would they be able to feel?”

Chen Changsheng glanced at the monolith, and said, “I am about to leave.”

Gou Hanshi did not misunderstand him like Tang Thirty-Six. He looked at him and said, “Looks like you have decided to go to the Garden of Zhou.”

Chen Changsheng thought about it, and said, “I’ll first proceed, then see how it goes.”

These words were said once more.

To many monolith comprehenders, if they wanted to take a step forwards in the Mausoleum of Books, it was as difficult as reaching the sky.

However, to him today, it was like a casual stroll.

There were two people in front of the eighth Heavenly Tome monolith.

He had seen these two people. A few days ago, they had once specially come to the Reflecting Monolith hut to see him, and said a few words to him.

On that night, Tang Thirty-Six had told him the history of the surnames of these two people.

Seeing Chen Changsheng, the two people looked as if they had seen the Demon Lord. Their faces were full of shock.

Chen Changsheng walked towards the monolith hut, and suddenly stopped. He turned around and looked at them. He said, “You are Guo En and Mu Nu?”

In front of the monolith hut that day, they had asked him, “You’re Chen Changsheng?”

Chen Changsheng was not a timid, bun-selling young girl after all. He was an upright, youthful teenager, so how could he not have a temper at all?

So before he left, he also asked that.

In the lingering breeze around the monolith hut, Guo En and Mu Nu’s faces became incomparably red, in a heated flush.

Arriving in front of the eleventh Heavenly Tome monolith, it finally became quiet. The gurgling sounds of water from the nearby clear, small stream was very pleasant to the ear.

With Chen Changsheng’s cultivation level, he did not know that there were several Heavenly Tome Monolith Guardians looking attentively at him from afar.

Ji Jin’s expression was extremely unsightly. That night, in order to help Zhong Hui break through, his consumption was extreme, which was very difficult for him to recover from.

Nian Guang looked at Chen Changsheng walking towards the side of the stream. He stayed silent, but his feelings were extremely complicated.

The Orthodoxy had ordered him to look after Chen Changsheng in the Mausoleum of Books. He did not do anything, because whether it was before or now, he did not need to do anything at all.

Many years ago, he had been a student specially nurtured by the Temple Seminary. However, he was pressured by the group of geniuses from the Orthodox Academy so badly that it even limited his breathing. In the end, only after all his hopes and dreams had been destroyed, he decided to go to the Mausoleum of Books to become a Monolith Guardian. Seeing Chen Changsheng comprehend ten Heavenly Tome monoliths in one day, he very naturally thought of the people from the Orthodox Academy. Speaking normally, he should have been somewhat furious, but for some reason, he was slightly relieved. Just like over ten years ago, after he learnt that those geniuses that had once pressured him to the point where he could not even breathe were all killed, he did not feel happy, but instead felt slightly sad.

A Monolith Guardian said, “He is the fastest one in the past decade, even faster than Wang Po and Xiao Zhang all those years ago.”

Nian Guang stayed silent for a while, before saying, “Not just faster, he is much faster. So fast that he has reached a universally shocking level.”

Chen Changsheng walked to the side of the stream. He washed his face and felt much more awake, before continuing to comprehend monoliths.

Seeing the breeze of the monolith hut begin to blow, the Monolith Guardians did not say anything.

Naturally, there were many people that had walked even further than Chen Changsheng in the Mausoleum of Books. Ignoring a monolith comprehender like Xun Mei, there were still cultivators that had viewed monoliths for hundreds of years in the seventh mausoleum.

However…. Chen Changsheng had only used a day’s worth of time.

Ji Jin thought back to all those years ago when he first arrived at the eleventh monolith. He had used a whole seven years. For a long time, he could not help but be absentminded, with never previously existed doubt blooming in his cultivation. His spiritual sense shook and was not calm. The injuries caused by the consumption a few days ago began to act up secretly. He held onto an old tree beside him, staggering and sobbing.

Nian Guang and the others did not notice his abnormal action, as they were still submerged in shock.

“If he was not surnamed Zhou, then I really would have wondered if he was the descendant of that person……”

Twilight invaded the sky, and he finally felt a shred of fatigue.

He gazed off into the distance, and also saw that the capital in the dusk was incomparably magnificent.

He stood there quietly for a while, before turning around. Facing the setting sun, he walked into the monolith hut.

The front mausoleum of the Mausoleum of Books only had seventeen monoliths in total. This was the final one.

Before, there was Zhou Dufu. Today, there was Chen Changsheng.

Comprehending all the monoliths of the front mausoleum in a single day.