Chapter 43: How Dare Someone Like You Slander the Human Sovereign!
“Kong Li, is it? I have some impression of you.” Dean Li spoke coldly, his attitude toward him a stark contrast to how he treated the Holy Maiden Jingxin.
“Why am I ranked dead last?” Jiang Li suppressed his anger. If he had lost the bet by coming in second place, he would have accepted it. But coming in dead last—what kind of nonsense was that?
Was it him who had no brain, or was it Dean Li?
“You actually have the nerve to ask?” Dean Li chuckled in exasperation. He pulled out Jiang Li’s exam paper and used a spell to project it into the air so that everyone could see.
“Let everyone see what kind of nonsense you wrote!”
The Holy Maiden Jingxin hadn’t expected that the great Human Sovereign would score dead last on an exam mostly based on books he had written. Like everyone else, she was curious to see Jiang Li’s answers.
However, after reading them, everyone felt that his responses were well-written, logical, and precise. He even brought up knowledge that many had never heard of, demonstrating his profound understanding—far beyond their own rote memorization.
Seeing the confusion on everyone’s faces, Dean Li began to explain, “At first glance, this exam paper may not seem problematic, but in reality, there are major issues.”
“Most of the answers to these questions can be found in the books. This means that as long as you study hard, you won’t score too badly.”
“But Kong Li’s answers, though not identical to the books, aren’t exactly wrong either,” the Holy Maiden Jingxin voiced the doubts of the crowd.
Dean Li shook his head. “Close enough? These books contain the lifelong wisdom of the Human Sovereign, every word is a pearl of wisdom, full of profound meaning. How can you casually replace his words with your own?”
“I’ve spent my entire life studying the theories of the Human Sovereign, and even now, when I reread The Complete Guide to Cultivation, I continue to gain new insights.”
“With your current abilities, you are far from being able to comprehend the deeper meanings in the Human Sovereign’s books. That’s why you must memorize them word for word—memorize first, then understand.” Dean Li spoke as if he was acting for the students’ benefit.
Jiang Li really wanted to say: I wrote The Complete Guide to Cultivation for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators. It’s an introductory book. What kind of ‘profound insights’ could a Soul Formation cultivator possibly be getting from it?!
Dean Li continued, “For example, this question asked for the definition of cultivation. The Complete Guide to Cultivation takes an entire page to define it, but Kong Li reduced it to a single sentence—how is that possible?!”
Jiang Li asked, “Is it not possible that The Complete Guide to Cultivation was written for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, so it explains things in detail, but could actually be summarized in a single sentence?”
“Absolutely not!” Dean Li said firmly. “The Human Sovereign is a figure of immense greatness. His books are meant for everyone, regardless of age or cultivation level!”
“I have studied the Human Sovereign’s theories for over a hundred years, and every time he comes to give a lecture, I am the one who receives him. No one understands the Human Sovereign’s thoughts better than I do!”
Standing not far away, the vice dean remained silent. He knew that Dean Li could not tolerate even the slightest criticism of the Human Sovereign, and that his study of the Human Sovereign’s theories was rigid to the extreme. He insisted that every word was sacred and could not be altered.
“And then there’s this reading comprehension question,” Dean Li continued. “You actually wrote that the sentence ‘It rained for several days, and today the sun finally came out’ had no deeper meaning—that it was simply a statement about the weather. How could that be possible? How could the Human Sovereign write something without profound meaning?”
“Days of rain, followed by a sudden sunny day, and the Human Sovereign just so happened to write a journal entry on that day? Clearly, what the Human Sovereign meant was that cultivation is full of hardships, like endless rain. But no matter how difficult things get, there will always come a day when the clouds part and the sun shines again. He was encouraging us in our cultivation!”
Jiang Li frowned. “Why does the Human Sovereign have to have some deep meaning behind everything?”
Dean Li’s expression darkened. “How dare you! How dare someone like you slander the Human Sovereign!”
“Is the Human Sovereign some kind of saint, that every word he speaks must be profound, that every action he takes must be flawless, and that no one is allowed to discuss or question him?” Jiang Li retorted.
Dean Li roared, “With that kind of attitude toward the Human Sovereign, you are unworthy of admission!”
“The Human Sovereign is an honorary graduate of this academy. Someone like you studying at the same institution as him is a disgrace to the academy! A disgrace to the Human Sovereign himself!”
Dean Li unleashed his Soul Formation aura, attempting to suppress this disrespectful student into submission. The students below, unable to withstand the pressure, felt as if a massive mountain had landed on their backs, making it hard to breathe.
The Holy Maiden Jingxin furrowed her brows in anger, preparing to counter Dean Li’s pressure with her own Soul Formation aura.
But before she could act, she realized—there was someone even more furious than her.
“A disgrace to the Human Sovereign? It seems to me that you are the one disgracing me!”
Jiang Li’s fury exploded. Behind him, it was as if ancient divine spirits were stirring, his aura overwhelming, as if the entire force of the Four Seas crashed down—yet all of it was focused solely on Dean Li.
Jiang Li could no longer tolerate Dean Li’s ridiculous nonsense. Without hesitation, he revealed his true identity.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
The academy had a giant statue of the Human Sovereign—who among them wouldn’t recognize Jiang Li?
Mocking laughter immediately followed. This was a blatant slap to Dean Li’s face.
Many students had long felt that rote memorization was an ineffective way to learn. But Dean Li was the dean, a Soul Formation cultivator—when he said memorization was necessary, they had no choice but to comply if they wanted to be admitted.
Now, with the Human Sovereign himself publicly humiliating Dean Li, how many people watching were secretly overjoyed?
A breath of fresh air!
“When I first came to this academy, it was a place of open learning, where students were free to discuss and debate different academic theories.”
“And now? It has practically turned into the ‘Jiang Li Academy.’ My books, written for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators as introductory guides, have been elevated to sacred texts. You claim to still be learning from them? Then tell me—what exactly have you learned?”
Jiang Li’s voice was stern, his expression solemn. He was deeply disappointed by the state of the academy. The dean was supposed to set the direction for the institution, and with someone like Dean Li in charge, the outcome was obvious—
A stagnant swamp!
And to think that he had still been coming here to lecture.
His lectures lasted only two days at a time—what could he possibly teach in two days? Naturally, he aimed to inspire students, guiding them to think critically about cultivation and expand their perspectives. But looking at the academy now, all those lectures had probably been in vain!
Cold sweat dripped from Dean Li’s forehead. He had never expected that the “Kong Li” he had been reprimanding for half a day would turn out to be the Human Sovereign himself.
And to think he had criticized Jiang Li’s answers, accused him of misinterpreting his own words, and insisted that every sentence Jiang Li wrote had to be profound!
“Hu-Human Sovereign, this is all a misunderstanding. I didn’t know you were Kong Li. If it’s you, then of course your exam should receive full marks.”
“Dean Li Hengshan, this is not about who I am. You still don’t realize your mistake. I am deeply disappointed in you!”
Jiang Li no longer paid attention to Dean Li. He turned to the visibly excited vice dean.
“Vice Dean Meng, inform all students that I, Jiang Li, will be giving a lecture.”
Vice Dean Meng nodded rapidly, bowing deeply before hurrying off to make the announcement.
Finally—finally, he wouldn’t have to endure Dean Li’s rigid theories anymore!
That very day, Jiang Li sat atop his own statue and delivered a lecture titled “Authority is Not to Be Blindly Trusted.”