The Urban Cultivation Grandmaster

Chapter 13: What Do Foreigners Think?

Mu Tian’s first class of the semester went viral in Huaxia, dominating the trending lists and flooding the internet. Such a massive sensation naturally drew the attention of the entire world. Since the Great Cataclysm, communication between regions across the globe had been severed; the skies became off-limits, the oceans became barriers, and even the internet was temporarily cut off—the “Earth village” became a thing of the past. Later, drawing on the civilization of the Xuan Realm, people developed new communication technologies, and thus the internet reemerged. Since then, global online communication has become increasingly frequent—after all, it is now the only channel available for connecting with every corner of the world. Huaxia is a country with a massive population and an extremely large number of internet users. How could an event currently being hotly discussed by hundreds of millions of people fail to attract global attention? On the BBC’s official website, Mu Tian’s image appeared prominently on the homepage, dominating the screen. A close-up of his face deliberately highlighted his deep, wise eyes, as if viewers might be drawn right into them. “The First Lesson of the New School Year by Huaxia’s Master Daowen”: The BBC reported the news in an exceptionally solemn tone, offering insights into the content of Mu Tian’s lecture. The article, spanning several thousand characters, lavished high praise on Mu Tian’s teaching, even directly adopting the honorific title used by Huaxia netizens—Master Daowen—to refer to him. “Time” magazine in the United States also covered this event, expressing great astonishment and even asserting that a new round of global transformation would be led by Huaxia, with the world’s center of gravity shifting entirely toward the East. “Who Will Lead the World?” — World Journal “The Mysteries of the Xuan Realm Civilization Will Be Unveiled!” — The Daily News “The Birth of Master Daowen” Mainstream media around the world began to report extensively on the story, offering rather exaggerated interpretations of global events. Although somewhat biased, this incident undoubtedly caused a huge stir among internet users worldwide and sparked a wave of discussion among people across the globe. Twitter was especially abuzz, with everyone—from the general public to high-ranking officials—engaged in heated discussion. “So well said—the cultivators’ theory of ‘self-reflection in solitude.’ Although I still can’t truly grasp what ‘self-reflection in solitude’ means, everything Mr. Mu said is happening right around us. We ordinary people live in constant fear and anxiety; those high-and-mighty cultivators really need to be reined in.” “I really envy the people of Huaxia. My goodness, what is our country doing? Fighting over power and profit—they haven’t given a second thought to us ordinary citizens.” “Has our government seen what Huaxia is doing? They should take a good look and learn from it—restore order and peace to us. We don’t want to live in constant fear of persecution coming out of nowhere. They need to rein in those superhumans who hold all the power!” “We’ve always thought we were living in paradise—free and democratic—but looking at the current situation in Huaxia, the facts prove that Huaxia is the true paradise, a land of peace, and an ideal homeland.” “Oh my god, I can hardly believe it—someone actually speaks the Daowen language. Isn’t that the language of the ‘Divine’?” “This is amazing! Master Mu Tian has guided my path of cultivation; he is my spiritual mentor!” “My biggest regret is not having learned Huaxia well enough. I watched the video, but I couldn’t understand a single word. Please, I’m begging you—I’d pay for a version with subtitles.” “Oh my God, I’ve studied Huaxia. I understood the video, and after watching it, I was completely blown away. Oh my God, it’s simply unbelievable—Mu Tian is a god!” “Please provide a translation—no, teach me Huaxia! I want to learn Huaxia so I can go to Huaxia and ask Master Mu Tian to take me as his disciple!” “You idiot, do you even think you can go to Huaxia? You’d better just focus on learning Huaxia. Once you’ve mastered Huaxia, you can study Daowen under Master Mu Tian. Superhuman is beckoning to me!” The whole world was abuzz with discussion, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. The Peninsula Cosmic Nation even produced a special program dedicated to this, titled *The Rise of the Master*... The show invited numerous guests—sociologists, Daowen text scholars, powerful cultivators, and, of course, many ordinary citizens—to discuss Mu Tian and his first lecture of the semester in depth. “In Huaxia, there’s a topic that’s all the rage: the lecture given by Daowen Master Mu Tian at the opening ceremony of his hometown’s Tianjiang Cultivator Academy. Today’s program has invited numerous heavyweight guests. First, let’s hear from Daowen scholar Professor Jin Dari.” “Hello, Professor Jin Dari. There have been persistent doubts circulating online in Huaxia regarding Daowen Master Mu Tian, and it wasn’t until the Huaxia Tianhai Cultivator Academy stepped in that the controversy was finally quelled. So, Professor Jin Dari, as one of the top Daowen scholars in our Great Cosmos Nation, what is your perspective on this?” Jin Dari: “Ordinary people don’t know much about the Daowen community, and this is the first time I’ve heard the name Master Mu Tian. But for those of us in the Daowen community, his name is legendary. I cannot guarantee whether his Daowen language is authentic or not, but his proficiency in Daowen is widely recognized within the industry. Even I have learned a great deal from Master Mu Tian.” The entire audience gasped in disbelief. “Wow, really? Then isn’t there a Daowen scholar in our Great Cosmos Nation who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mu Tian?” The host was clearly flustered. She had originally hoped that Professor Jin Dari would take a dig at Mu Tian to showcase the prestige of the Great Cosmos, but she never expected this turn of events. Reluctant to let it go, she pressed on. Jin Dari shook his head: “There is only one Mu Tian in the world.” The host was taken aback, then immediately turned to the deeply accomplished cultivator. Park Duan-tao—the prodigy of the Yijian Sect and the Great Cosmos’s most renowned young powerhouse—was at the eighth level of the Meridian Condensation Realm and held sway over the entire Great Cosmos Kingdom. When the host asked for his opinion on Mu Tian’s classification of cultivation realms, Park Dang-diao replied coldly, “It’s very clear and well-structured.” The host was left at a loss again and turned to an ordinary citizen for input, only to end up even more embarrassed. “Teacher Mu Tian is absolutely right. We should enact laws to rein in those cultivators and stop them from abusing their power!” “That’s right. This president is utterly incompetent. We need to elect a new president to lead us toward peace and stability.” While the outside world was in an uproar, Mu Tian was enjoying a rare moment of peace and quiet. Tianjiang Cultivator Academy covers two thousand mu, nestled against mountains and beside a river, with breathtaking scenery. Mu Tian’s teachers’ villa was truly splendid—a secluded courtyard with a small bridge over flowing water, pavilions and towers, nestled at the foot of Qixing Ridge and overlooking the Three Lakes Region. It was simply breathtaking. Mu Tian loved it so much that once he settled in, he couldn’t bear to leave. As he stood in the small courtyard, watching the Star Sea within his spiritual sea grow ever more radiant and captivating, his heart swelled with joy. “It really is true that teaching in person is the way to go. Just one class, and the radiance of the Star Sea is surging in—it’s absolutely delightful.” Especially when Mu Tian noticed a hint of crimson radiance emanating from the Star Sea, his mind began to race with excitement.