275: Chapter 21: The Dao Heart Shattered, the Emperor's Sword Broken, the Champion Achieved

On the Dao Debate Platform, the faint sound of cracks spreading across the nine cauldrons was infinitely magnified in the deathly silent arena, like the groan of a jade mountain before it collapses, striking the hearts of every observer.

On the left, the golden frame representing the "Imperial Way" was in violent turmoil. The originally grand and majestic golden radiance, which seemed to carry the orthodoxy of heaven and earth, now flickered uncertainly like a candle in the wind. Atop the nine cauldrons phantom, spider-web-like cracks were clearly visible. What escaped from them was no longer the dark-yellow Qi that stabilized the mountains and rivers, but a... chaotic flow of rules mixed with shock, fury, disbelief, and an indescribable trace of panic.

Xuanyuan Hao sat in the center of the golden frame. His dark-gold dragon-patterned imperial robe was still luxurious, but the beads on his Pingtian Crown were no longer motionless; instead, they made a fine and messy clashing sound as his body trembled slightly. His face was as pale as paper, his lips tightly pursed, and a streak of bright red was slowly seeping from the corner of his mouth—this was the external manifestation of his Dao Heart being wounded and his Divine Soul suffering backlash!

His eyes, which once looked down upon the world as if they contained the rotation of the sun and moon, now had pupils that constricted violently. Deep within his gaze was filled with unbelievable horror and a bone-deep confusion following the shaking of his Foundation.

He heard the sound of the cauldrons cracking.

He felt the rift in his Dao Heart.

He... wavered.

Since he had awakened the Emperors Bloodline, gained the recognition of the "son of heaven sword" projection, and established his grand ambition for the "Imperial Way," when had he ever suffered such a heavy blow? It wasn't physical injury, nor was it the loss of a divine kingdom, but the very path he believed in and held as his creed was being fundamentally questioned, shaken, and even... dismantled by another thought in a way he had never imagined!

"People are more important than the ruler" shook the absoluteness of his "divine right of kings."

The "Public Law of Civilization" negated the rationality of "Law comes from the ruler."

"Universal love and Non-Aggression" rebuked the legitimacy of "hegemonic conquest."

And that final ultimate questioning regarding "the inconstancy of heaven's mandate, the flow of orthodoxy, and the plurality of civilization" was like an invisible giant hammer, ruthlessly smashing against the most core and inviolable cornerstone of his "Imperial Way"—"The Mandate is one, and the Orthodoxy is eternal"!

The cracking of the nine cauldrons was the manifestation of structural damage to the "Imperial Way" rule projection under the impact of the "principles of civilization"!

"No... impossible!" A low roar like that of a trapped beast came from Xuanyuan Hao's throat. He suddenly looked up, golden divine flames burning crazily in his eyes, trying to dispel the chill and wavering that had invaded his Dao Heart. "My Dao is the orthodox Emperors Bloodline! I bear the mandate of heaven! I rule over all directions! How can it be shaken by your miscellaneous, impure, and opportunistic fallacies?!"

He forcibly gathered his nearly collapsing Divine Thought, ignoring the bursts of stinging pain from his Divine Soul, and crazily poured his remaining Divine Power into the golden frame beneath him, even triggering the son of heaven sword projection at his waist!

"Clang—!"

A clear and majestic sword cry echoed across the Dao Debate Platform. The projection of that ancient longsword suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant golden light! On the blade, the eight ancient seal characters "Received the mandate from heaven, may he live long and prosper" moved as if they had come to life, emitting a chilling Sword Intent that could cut through all rebellion and judge all disobedience!

Xuanyuan Hao wanted to use the son of heaven sword, a supreme treasure projection representing the authority of the Emperor and the symbol of orthodoxy, to forcibly suppress the chaotic flow of rules, reunite his Dao Heart, and counter Lin Zhou's "heretical" thoughts with the purest and most direct power of "orthodoxy"!

"Lin Zhou! No matter how eloquent you are or how many sophistries you weave! Before the magnificent mandate of heaven and the grand orthodoxy, all are illusions!" Xuanyuan Hao's voice was somewhat hoarse from the forced activation, yet it became even more crazed. "Today, I will let you witness what the 'Heavenly Constitution' is! What 'irreversibility' is!"

He pointed his fingers like a sword towards the blue frame on the right side of the Dao Debate Platform, pointing at Lin Zhou, who sat quietly within.

"In my name, I bear the mandate of heaven! I decree: On this platform, only the 'Imperial Way' is supreme! All others are illusory heresies and shall receive—the judgment of the Son of Heaven!"

As his voice fell, the son of heaven sword projection's light surged, turning into a golden sword rainbow that spanned the Dao Debate Platform. Carrying the majestic rule-will of "orthodoxy," "judgment," and "crushing mandate of heaven," it ignored spatial distance and slashed directly at the core of the river of civilization projection! Everywhere the sword tip passed, even the chaotic clear light of the Dao Debate Platform was dyed gold, as if the Laws of heaven and earth were making way for this strike, announcing the final judgment of "orthodoxy" upon "heresy"!

This was a strike in which Xuanyuan Hao had condensed his remaining Dao Heart, burned part of his Origin divinity, and triggered the full power of the son of heaven sword! It was his ultimate counterattack as a successor of the "Imperial Way" against the "Way of Civilization," defending the very meaning of his existence!

This sword strike had exceeded the scope of ordinary divine arts; it was nearly a rule declaration, a War for the survival of a path!

In the audience, countless people stood up with cries of alarm. On the judges' bench, several professors also looked grave. The power and determination of this strike exceeded the scope of a student competition!

Facing this judgment sword that was as magnificent as heavenly majesty and represented "absolute orthodoxy," Lin Zhou slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was calmer than ever before, yet also deeper than ever before. The Fire of Civilization burning deep within his pupils was no longer fierce and ostentatious; instead, it had turned into a gentle and vast radiance, like a starry sky that embraced all things, like a river that flowed incessantly.

Three days of debating were not only a questioning of Xuanyuan Hao but also an extreme sorting, tempering, and sublimation of his own "Way of Civilization." He had integrated the Hundred Schools of Thought, and in the flames of ideological confrontation, he had filtered out the clutter and grasped the most core and essential spark of inspiration.

At this moment, facing this "judgment of the Son of Heaven," the ultimate counterattack representing the old Order and old orthodoxy, he no longer had the slightest hesitation in his heart, leaving only a state of clarity and purity.

He didn't need to stand up, nor did he need to swing a sword. He simply raised his right hand, palm upward, hovering beneath the river of civilization projection.

Then, he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to carry the weight of the entire history of civilization and the resonance of the wisdom of countless sages, echoing clearly in the depths of everyone's Soul:

"Senior Xuanyuan, you are wrong."

"The 'heaven's mandate,' 'orthodoxy,' and 'supremacy' you cling to are not the driving forces of civilization's progress, but the shackles that bind its flight."

"A true civilization is never the private tool of a single family or name, nor is it the exclusive property of a certain path."

"Civilization—"

Lin Zhou's palm slowly closed, as if condensing the entire phantom of the river of civilization and all the ideological brilliance that had shone during the three days of debate—the benevolent government and people-based philosophy of the School of Literati, the public tools and legal principles of the School of Law, the universal love and Non-Aggression of the School of Mohism, the natural non-action of the School of the Dao, the dialectical logic of the School of Names, the power-balancing of the School of Diplomacy, the survival Foundation of the School of Agriculture, the life care of the School of Medicine, the wisdom of survival and death of the School of Military, and the inclusiveness of School of Miscellaneous—all into a single point in his palm!

That point of light was faint at first, then it suddenly erupted with indescribable brilliance! It was neither gold nor blue, but a color of Chaos that encompassed all things, in which characters seemed to be born and die, cities rose and fell, all living beings sang and wept, and sparks of wisdom constantly flickered!

"—should be the public instrument of the world!"

Lin Zhou spoke those last words one by one, like the tolling of a great bell, sounding the death knell of the old era and announcing a possibility for the new era!

Buzz!

On the right side of the Dao Debate Platform, the entire river of civilization projection surged backward, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, all pouring into that single point of chaotic light in Lin Zhou's palm! In the next moment, that point of light turned into a stream of thought that was formless and substance-less, yet seemed to contain all the Laws and possibilities of civilizational evolution, meeting the incoming golden sword rainbow of the "judgment of the Son of Heaven" head-on!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor were there dazzling light and shadows.

At the moment the two met, time seemed to stand still for an instant.

Then, everyone "saw" a strange sight:

The golden sword rainbow, representing "absolute orthodoxy" and "judgment of heaven's mandate," at the moment it touched that chaotic stream of thought, its indestructible internal rule structure—representing "uniqueness," "eternity," and "supremacy"—actually began to silently melt and disintegrate like snow meeting a blazing sun!

"The mandate is one"? Within the stream of thought, phantom scrolls of history appeared, showing countless civilizations rising and falling, and countless "mandates of heaven" shifting and changing.

"The orthodoxy is eternal"? Within the stream of thought, a dynamic picture was shown where the Hundred Schools of Thought contended, merged, and evolved, always in a state of self-renewal and transcendence.

"The Imperial Way is supreme"? Within the stream of thought echoed the grand voices of "People are more important than the ruler," "Law is a public instrument," and "Universal love and Non-Aggression," as well as the inclusive Concept of "The sea admits all rivers; all-encompassing is its greatness."

This chaotic stream of thought didn't inherently contain much destructive energy, but the profound understanding of the essence of civilization, the openness to diverse possibilities, and the complete negation of rigid supremacy it represented precisely constituted the most fundamental and thorough deconstruction and negation of the core tenets of the "Imperial Way"!

The light of the golden sword rainbow quickly dimmed, and its internal rules crumbled inch by inch.

"No—!!!" Xuanyuan Hao let out a roar of despair and unwillingness. He felt the connection between himself and the son of heaven sword projection weakening rapidly; that divine sword, representing his glory and authority, was losing its "sacred" and "unique" core!

Finally—

Qiang—!!!

A crisp sound that made one's heart tremble, as if something supreme had snapped, echoed through the universe!

That magnificent golden sword rainbow completely collapsed when it was still several feet away from the chaotic light in Lin Zhou's palm! And at Xuanyuan Hao's waist, the son of heaven sword projection actually developed a clear, penetrating crack right through the middle of the blade!

Then, under the gaze of countless shocked eyes and Xuanyuan Hao's dull, desperate gaze, that supreme treasure projection symbolizing the Emperor's authority and the orthodoxy of the Imperial Way—

Snapped in two!

The blade, broken into two pieces, lost all its luster and turned into ordinary golden specks of light, dispersing and vanishing. The remaining hilt portion also quickly dimmed, finally turning into a wisp of blue smoke and drifting away.

The son of heaven sword... was broken!

It wasn't shattered by a more powerful Divine Power, but under the impact of another more grand, inclusive, and vital civilizational philosophy, because its core "absolute uniqueness" and "rigid exclusiveness" could not reconcile themselves, leading to... a self-collapse at the rule level!

"Pfft—!"

Xuanyuan Hao was struck as if by lightning, his body shaking violently, and a large mouthful of blood containing pale-golden divine radiance sprayed out, staining his imperial robe. The imperial majesty on him receded like a tide, his face turned as pale as a ghost, and his eyes completely lost focus, leaving only endless emptiness and collapse.

The cracking of the nine cauldrons was already a heavy injury.

The breaking of the son of heaven sword meant that the backbone of his "Imperial Way" path had been brutally snapped!

His Dao Heart was shattered!

On the left side of the Dao Debate Platform, the entire golden frame let out an overburdened wail, then collapsed and vanished! The nine cauldrons phantom was completely annihilated, and all Imperial Way rule projections were gone!

Looking at the right side, the chaotic light in Lin Zhou's palm slowly retracted, turning back into the quietly flowing but seemingly deeper and broader river of civilization phantom, which silently surrounded him. His face was also somewhat pale, and his aura was weak; clearly, that final strike of condensing the words of the Hundred Schools and declaring "Civilization should be the public instrument of the world" had also consumed a huge amount of his mental energy and strength. But compared to Xuanyuan Hao's shattered Dao Heart and broken divine weapon, his consumption was only temporary.

The difference was clear! The winner was decided!

The entire Central Arena of Xinghai University fell into an absolute, deathly silence that lasted for several minutes.

Everyone was so shocked by this outcome, which exceeded imagination and struck the Soul directly, that they were speechless.

The divine kingdoms had not directly collided, and the followers had not engaged in large-scale slaughter. However, an even more thrilling ideological War, concerning the very Foundation of their paths, had reached a conclusion.

The radiance of the Imperial Way paled before the surging river of civilization, and even... broke!

After a long time, in the center of the judges' bench, the President of Xinghai University slowly stood up. This elderly man, who had always maintained a peaceful expression, now had eyes filled with complex emotions: shock, relief, reflection, and an indescribable depth.

His gaze swept over Xuanyuan Hao, who was slumped in despair with a shattered Dao Heart, and finally landed on Lin Zhou, who, though exhausted, had clear and bright eyes.

"After deliberation by the judging panel," the President's old and solemn voice broke the silence and spread throughout the venue, "based on the rule confrontation, ideological exposition, and the feedback of 'practicing the way' results within the demiplane (the light screen shows that although the Hundred Schools Divine Kingdom has a smaller control area, its civilizational assimilation quality, the proportion of voluntary conversion of native tribes, the purity of faith, and other indicators are all significantly superior to those of the Heavenly Emperor's Divine Kingdom)..."

The President paused, his voice suddenly rising with a decisive majesty:

"The winner of this final is—"

"The School of Literature and Law, 'Hundred Schools' team, Captain—"

"Lin Zhou!"

"The overall champion of the 7843rd Xinghai University Academy Championship—Lin Zhou!"

Boom—!!!

After a brief silence, the entire venue erupted with a wave of sound like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami! The School of Literature and Law area completely boiled over, with countless blue flags waving! Neutral spectators who supported "Hundred Schools" and were shocked by the ideological confrontation cheered wildly! Even many students from the Imperial Pole Academy, after experiencing their initial shock and disbelief, couldn't help but offer complex applause for this unprecedented ideological victory.

Members of the Hundred Schools Society embraced and wept. Zhao Hao, Wang Meng, Li Mo, Qin Qing, and others were so excited they could hardly contain themselves.

However, in an unknown VIP viewing box, an elderly man dressed in a simple black robe, with a majestic face and an aura as deep as an abyss and as heavy as a mountain, quietly watched the fading light of the broken sword on the Dao Debate Platform and Xuanyuan Hao's lost figure, letting out a faint, long, and complex sigh.

In that sigh, there was pity, regret, and a melancholy for the passing of old glory, but there also seemed to be... a very subtle, strange premonition of the birth of something new.

He was the current head of the Xuanyuan Clan, a great deity possessing a pure Emperors Bloodline, and Xuanyuan Hao's grandfather.

The son of heaven sword was broken, and the Imperial Way had suffered a setback.

The myth of an era seemed to have developed a crack at this moment.

And another rising star named "Civilization" was ascending in an unprecedented way, its light just beginning to shine.