On the Platform of Debates, three sentences were spoken.

As a master of debate and a distinguished member of the Committee of Argumentation, Wang Yu once again triumphed in a heated contest, nearly driving his opponent to the brink of collapse. Naturally, a victory banquet followed, and Wang Yu drank himself into oblivion.

When he awoke, he found himself in a different world.

Surveying the simple yet ancient furnishings of the room, and looking at his delicate skin and slender fingers, Wang Yu was bewildered. Where was he?

The next moment, a rush of memories fused into his mind.

He discovered that he now existed in a world of cultural cultivation, where the Hundred Schools contended and scholarship was revered. Customs here remained rooted in antiquity, with the pursuit of knowledge held above all else.

In this world, people gained strength through study, and fought through the clash of ideas. The person whose body he now inhabited was also named Wang Yu, an outer disciple of the Confucian Sect—the foremost school of the realm—dedicated to the Way of Confucius.

However, this Wang Yu was slow-witted, having spent three years without passing the sect’s debate trial to become a full disciple. Tomorrow would be his last chance; if he failed again, he would have to pack his belongings and leave.

He had worried himself sick, and his spirit had faded, allowing Wang Yu to take possession.

After sitting quietly on the bed and steadying himself, Wang Yu gradually adapted. As someone accustomed to fending for himself, he accepted the fact of transmigration rather quickly. Upon learning the nature of this world, he even felt a surge of excitement.

A world of cultural cultivation—how splendid! This was perfectly suited to his talents. He, Wang Yu, king of the debating world, might just ascend to sainthood in a single stride and reach the pinnacle of life.

As for tomorrow's trial, that was mere child’s play. Wang Yu brimmed with confidence.

Time flew, and before he realized it, the jade disk shifted westward and the new day arrived.

Wang Yu washed, ate breakfast, and set out with a crowd of fellow youths—each dressed in grand robes and tall hats—toward the Disputation Platform in Goose Lake.

The platform was essentially a stage for debate.

The entrance trial was not excessively difficult; it did not require one’s words to conjure celestial phenomena like a rainbow spanning the sun or a comet streaking across the moon, nor did it demand a mighty aura stretching for thousands of miles. Even the elders seldom possessed such mastery.

It sufficed to induce a minor manifestation of the heavens.

To do so, one’s discourse had to accord with reason, thereby summoning the principles of heaven and earth to lend their support. Moreover, it could not merely echo the words of predecessors; there must be a fresh elaboration upon the wisdom of past sages.

It sounded daunting, but was not truly so. If one focused on the teachings of a great scholar and extended them with a touch of innovation, a manifestation would follow. Thus, one could pass the trial and become a full disciple of the Confucian Sect.

There were hundreds of great scholars, and their doctrines were numerous. Every outer disciple could choose freely; by aligning oneself with a particular scholar’s philosophy and passing the trial, one would be accepted as their pupil.

The original Wang Yu had chosen a master named Zuo Yuan, whose teachings he greatly admired and regarded as ultimate truth. Alas, his mediocre talent trapped him in the scholar’s dogma, unable to innovate, and he failed the last two trials.

Without further ado, the trial began.

It was a well-practiced affair, having occurred many times before. Elders of the sect presided, and disciples ascended the platform one after another.

In truth, the entrance trial did not require direct debate; one needed only to expound one's theory and provoke a manifestation. The platform itself amplified such phenomena: for example, if a disciple summoned a manifestation of one foot, the stage could magnify it to ten feet.

This served two purposes: it made it easier for disciples to summon a manifestation, and it allowed for better observation. Sometimes, the manifestations were so subtle as to be nearly invisible, and in the days before the platform, such cases were deemed failures.

As a result, the sect lost several talented individuals to rival schools. Learning from this, the founder forged the platform from stones gathered beyond the heavens, ensuring no talent would slip away again.

Many renowned scholars and even masters had succeeded through the platform, despite summoning only faint manifestations, and later rose to greatness.

As Wang Yu pondered all this, disciples took turns loudly proclaiming their doctrines to heaven and earth.

Manifestations appeared: three feet of radiant light, a foot-long jade brush, blossoming jade lanterns, streams of purple aura—marvels of every sort.

The most remarkable was a disciple who summoned ten fathoms of purple aura, astonishing the elders above and earning instant admission to the Hall of Excellence.

This feat incited envy and admiration among all present.

The Hall of Excellence was an institution within the Confucian Sect for cultivating formal disciples, offering frequent guidance from great scholars. Progress for its members far exceeded that of ordinary students.

Wang Yu watched the triumphant youth and felt his own excitement begin to stir.

He wondered: what should I say?

“To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, a destiny for life, to continue the lost learning of the sages, and to bring peace for all generations?”

No, no, too arrogant—he’d risk getting killed.

“The mind itself is neither good nor evil; its movements can be good or evil. Knowing good and evil is innate knowledge; doing good and avoiding evil is the investigation of things?”

Not suitable for his current status.

“Investigate things to acquire knowledge, make intentions sincere, rectify the heart, govern the family, rule the state, bring peace to the world?”

Appropriate, but insufficiently impactful.

After much deliberation, Wang Yu settled on three statements.

These will do.

When his turn came, Wang Yu stepped onto the platform.

As a student who had twice failed the trial, he was somewhat notorious among his peers—though not for anything admirable. Tags like “useless,” “slow,” and “stubborn” were all attached to him.

He felt the scornful gazes of the crowd.

Wang Yu smirked inwardly: “Today, you will witness what it means to be silent for three years, then astound the world in a single cry.”

Ascending the platform, he shouted three statements:

“Life is about continually swimming against the current!”

“Life is about learning to let go.”

“Existence is so splendid—we must learn to savor it.”