Of course, if Pei Xuanjing had not even confirmed his status as a Taoist Monarch, he would not care about the words of such insignificant beings unless he came across them face to face.

After all, would a True Immortal pay attention to the words of a Mortal.

However, the magnanimity of many Taoist Monarchs is their kindness. As strong members of the Taoist School, they must not allow such reckless talk if they encounter it; they must take action to maintain the dignity of the School lest the authority of the Way be undermined.

"It turns out to be Lin Hongfu, the Wenling Layman, who is the direct disciple of Emperor Wenchang!" exclaimed a True Immortal upon learning the true identity of this mysterious immortal.

"A Great Confucian of the Heart Teachings, it is rumored that he found his own path within the Heart Teachings founded by the Saint of Heart, and could establish his own sect and write his own doctrines. It is even said that he was only half a step from reaching the Realm of the ancient Holy Sages and putting forth his own teachings," whispered a True Immortal recalling some rumors about Lin Hongfu.

The title of an ancient Holy Sage is not just a division of power, but more so a recognition of a certain Realm and status by all parties involved.

Even among the countless strong individuals who have reached the level of True Immortal today and have left behind their own Orthodox lines and numerous disciples, to be called a Holy Sage is still far out of reach.

The deeds of a Holy Sage are not only for themselves but also for the merit of the entire human race, gaining the support and reverence of all its people.

Even a True Immortal or a Taoist Monarch can establish an immortal sect and have countless disciples, but their blessings only cover a small portion of the population and cannot influence the entire human race.

The birth of a Holy Sage, their teachings, the Great Tao they cultivate, is something that can be practiced by all beings of the human race, beneficial to all humans.

Just like Sword Emperor and Taoist Monarch Xuantian, they are veterans among Taoist Monarchs. Purely in terms of combat power, there is no doubt that these two hold peak strengths in the realm and are among the top ten.

But having great power does not mean they can be called Holy Sages. After all, the blessings of Taoist Monarch Xuantian can only protect the lineage of Xuantian, and are useless to the rest of the human race.

The Sword Emperor is slightly better, with the Sword Sect recognized as the Holy Land of Sword Cultivators across the world. From time to time, the Sword Emperor opens lectures to demonstrate skills, but ultimately, he only influences Sword Cultivators, and for other strong beings who are not Sword Cultivators, this does not have much significance.

Among the strong of the world today, there are only two who can truly be honored as Holy Sages. One is Longevity Taoist Monarch Pei Xuanjing, and the other is Saint of Heart Emperor Wenchang Wang Boan.

The achievements of Longevity Taoist Monarch Pei Xuanjing do not need much elaboration. Merely the emergence of the Taoist Academy has paved a path for countless humans, giving them a chance to climb higher — this alone has already blessed the entire human race.

Add to this, Longevity Taoist Monarch often descends to teach at the Taoist Academy, versed in a multitude of skills, and has guided countless strong individuals in Cultivation without any sect discrimination. The number of divine powers and skills he can explain and impart naturally earns him the title of Holy Sage from many.

The same goes for Emperor Wenchang. Although Emperor Wenchang has not done as much as Longevity Taoist Monarch, the mere establishment of the Heart Teachings and the non-sectarian impartation of the Heart Path has shaped countless strong practitioners.

Cultivation is also the search for truth; it is not just about accumulating resources to enhance combat abilities. Aside from the extremists of the Demonic Way, even those Cultivators who strive to push boundaries tirelessly to enhance their powers must also pay attention to their spirit's Realm, ensuring they control their own strength, not become puppets to power, and not lose themselves eventually.

However, it is incredibly difficult to elevate spiritual power. For many Cultivators, Heavenly and Earthly Treasures can accumulate their Realm and combat power, but improving spiritual power truly requires long-term contemplation of nature and continuous strengthening.

Yet the emergence of the Heart Teachings has provided them with a new approach. Following the methods taught by the Saint of Heart, they may not make rapid leaps and bounds, but merely relying on this can steadily solidify their spirit, firm their resolve, and avoid succumbing to corruption.

Therefore, the emergence of Heart Teachings undoubtedly provides convenience for the cultivators between heaven and earth, and this is beneficial to the human race.

Besides these two, among the many Taoist Monarch strong ones and True Immortal Strong ones in the human race, scarcely any could be honored with the title of Holy Sage.

Indeed these strong ones have also made vast contributions to the pioneering path of the human race, braving dangers on behalf of the human race; they are worthy to be called heroes, but not Holy Sages, because the meaning between the two is vastly different.

The path that Lin Hongfu is now taking in Heart Teachings is completely different, and if he can advance further on this path, creating techniques and Divine Abilities or paths that could benefit the entire human race, then it is indeed possible for him to be called a Holy Sage.

Of course, such a step is exceedingly difficult, and it is unknown how many strong ones ultimately get trapped in this phase, unable to continue their own path to reach the final endpoint.

It is precisely because of its rarity that an existence like Lin Hongfu, who might reach such a state, is worthy of attention from Taoist Monarchs and anticipation from True Immortals.

Lin Hongfu noticed the changes in the expressions and gazes of these people but did not say much more.

Missing by an inch can mean an error of a thousand miles. Once, he also believed this step to be extremely difficult, but even after enduring through the ages, he remains stuck, unable to succeed, which shows how difficult it is.

He is clear that there is little possibility for progress in his path at this step, and even though his Realm continues to rise, the difficulty of innovating within the Heart Teachings to carve out a complete path is extraordinary.

It is precisely because of this, he understands how great his teacher was to forge his own path from Confucianism and how minuscule his own pride was in front of his teacher.

However, since he has already left, he naturally would not easily turn back, especially since he, although in awe of his teacher's greatness, still cannot approve the cooperation and support between his teacher and the Jade Emperor.

If creating a new path within Heart Teachings that surpasses the old is the expectation between a teacher and student, then the true reason for their divergence lies in whether or not to recognize the Jade Emperor.

"Although Xuan Du Guan belongs to the Taoist School, hasn't its style always been to live like idle cranes and remain uninvolved in worldly affairs? How come now it's also concerning itself with these matters?" Lin Hongfu said with a light glance, his tone laced with depth.

Others may not recognize this truth of the Taoist Immortal, but how could he possibly fail to know the true identity of this member of the Taoist School?

The most mysterious and powerful among the top Immortal Sects, Xuan Du Guan, is known for only having three to five direct inheritors each generation, with ultimately only one inheriting the mantle.

Although the birth of True Immortals has increased the number of disciples that Xuan Du Guan accepts, and the ancestors no longer pass away, the competition among each generation of disciples in Xuan Du Guan is still the fiercest.

And the most terrifying aspect is the strength of Xuan Du Guan, for they have the fewest people among the top Immortal Sects. Even if averaged out, the Cultivation resources available to each Xuan Du Guan cultivator are several to dozens of times that of other top Immortal Sects.

Furthermore, each disciple of Xuan Du Guan is a Heaven's Proud, without sufficient talent one does not even qualify to become a direct disciple. With such talent and resources, each generation of Xuan Du Guan cultivators is almost invincible within their own Realm.

But Xuan Du Guan has always been like idle clouds and wild cranes, not intervening in the internal struggles within the Divine Continent. Now that this True Immortal from Xuan Du Guan has spoken up, does it hint at a change in Xuan Du Guan's stance?

If it is really so, it is uncertain whether it will affect others, but for the people on the side of Confucianism, it undoubtedly means a significant increase in pressure.

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