Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 832

Chapter 832: Saint Ascension Platform

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

While Lu Feng and the others were organizing their ploy to expose Zhang Xuan’s true identity, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin were seated by the window in the room on the back of the Great Violetwing Beast, watching as the clouds flew by them.

“The Saint Ascension Platform is the place where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood. Upon his ascension, he inscribed his insights personally on a cliff face at the peak of the mountain… On top of that, it’s said that he also left a sliver of his will there to gift to a fated man. Since you are a Celestial Master Teacher as well, you might just be able to obtain it!” Luo Ruoxin said with a smile.

“A sliver of Kong shi’s will?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

As the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, even a sliver of Kong shi’s will could send countless master teachers fighting frenziedly over it.

“That’s right. The will isn’t too strong as it was left right after Kong shi reached Saint realm, but nevertheless, considering that it belonged to Kong shi, it is not something to be underestimated… If you were to obtain and assimilate it, it won’t be long before you reach Saint realm too!” Luo Ruoxin replied with a nod.

“Saint realm?” A bitter smile emerged on Zhang Xuan’s face. “I am only at Perfect Harmonization realm at the moment, still a long distance away from reaching Saint realm.”

Beyond Perfect Harmonization realm was Ethereal Treading realm, Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and finally, Nascent Saint!

There were four realms standing between him and Saint realm. Even if he were to gather sufficient cultivation technique manuals to compile the respective Heaven’s Path Divine Arts for those realms, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was still unlikely to be sufficient for him to cultivate that far.

The Heaven’s Path Divine Art’s demand for spiritual energy increased at an exponential rate. Perhaps, Zhang Xuan might have to expend up to a thousand times more spirit stones or spirit essence just to reach Saint realm.

Furthermore, the thresholds between Chrysalis realm to Half-Saint and Half-Saint to Nascent Saint were known to be extremely difficult to overcome. Many preceding cultivators had their journeys terminated prematurely at those two bottlenecks. Even if Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he wasn’t certain that he could overcome them for sure.

“When I first met you at the Verdant Mountain, you were only at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. However, in less than two months, you have already reached Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle. That’s a growth of three realms in less than two months! Even I hardly see such swift growth around. Saint realm might still be a distance away, but it shouldn’t be a problem for you!” Luo Ruoxin consoled.

When she had first met Zhang Xuan, he had only been at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. In their second meeting, he had already reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. She had thought that his current rate of growth was already incredible, but when she met him once more the day before, he was already a Perfect Harmonization realm expert.

Such a rate of growth was truly astounding.

“I was just lucky…” Zhang Xuan smiled awkwardly.

Not wanting to dwell further on this topic, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something and asked, “Right, do you have any Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals with you? The quality doesn’t matter, I just need as many of them as possible!”

The Master Teacher Academy did have a Cultivation Depository to store cultivation technique manuals, but its security was far tighter than the other libraries in the academy. Putting aside the fact that the advanced formation made it hard for even a soul to slip in, the ones guarding the premises were mainly the Saint realm teachers as well. After the prior experience in the Terpsichorean Compendium Pavilion, he dared not enter it recklessly.

One Wei Ranxue had already nearly him killed. If he were to encounter multiple Saint realm experts specializing in soul attacks, he might just very well lose his life.

As a result, despite visiting the libraries of the various schools, he hadn’t paid the Cultivation Depository a visit yet.

It was not that he couldn’t find it, but he dared not enter it.

Since it happened that there was nothing to do at the moment, if he could obtain some Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals from the other party, he could study them and raise his cultivation.

“Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals? I only have one of those, and it’s a cultivation technique passed down within my clan, so I am unable to share it with you…” Luo Ruoxin shook her head.

“Pardon me, I was being impetuous!” Zhang Xuan apologized.

Based on what he knew, the young lady before him was likely from a Sage Clan, the Luo Clan. Clans like that guarded their heritage tightly, and asking for the other party’s cultivation technique abruptly could be considered a disrespectful action.

Take Mu shi for example, he was expelled from his clan due to revealing the secrets of his clan’s cultivation technique to an outsider.

“Don’t worry about it. However, if you wish to make a breakthrough to the Ethereal Treading realm, I can offer you some pointers instead…” Luo Ruoxin smiled.

“Ethereal Treading, the eighth dan of Transcendent Mortal. By aligning one’s body with nature, one can achieve the feat of stepping upon thin air…”

Listening carefully to Luo Ruoxin’s words, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

As expected of an expert from a Sage Clan, her understanding of Ethereal Treading realm was extremely detailed, and there were nearly no mistakes to be found!

If Zhang Xuan were to cultivate by the method she had imparted, even without a compiled Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he would still be able to achieve a breakthrough.

However, he decided not to rush into it.

Even for a cultivator of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, it was still essential for him to build a strong foundation for his cultivation. Otherwise, even if he could advance his cultivation swiftly, it would be like the moon in the water, dissipating with a light touch.

It had only been two days since he had reached Perfect Harmonization realm, so it was imperative for him to allow his cultivation to settle down first before making another advancement.

Nevertheless, the conversation with Luo Ruoxin benefited him greatly, giving him a deeper insight into the intricacies of cultivation.

It was a three-day journey to the Saint Ascension Platform. Zhang Xuan had been too busy with various miscellaneous matters previously to cultivate, so this was a good opportunity for him to reinforce his cultivation.

Absorbing the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, Zhang Xuan further tempered his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, making it even purer and more condensed.

…

Time passed in a flash.

The three days of hard work had allowed Zhang Xuan to fully reinforce his Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle cultivation, resulting in his aura becoming sharper than before.

Even though his strength was still capped at 14,000,000 ding, he had become able to utilize his zhenqi more nimbly, thus furthering his battle prowess.

However, the most conspicuous change was with the spiritual sea in his dantian, having expanded by more than twofold. Pure zhenqi filled the area to the brim, and as if a full dam, one could draw immense power from it in an instant.

At the same time, his understanding of the Perfect Harmonization realm had also deepened. If he wished to, he could achieve a breakthrough to the Ethereal Treading realm whenever he wanted to.

…

I should take a look at the golden book first! Zhang Xuan thought.

After accepting School Head Jiang as his student, a golden book had appeared in his Library of Heaven’s Path. Due to the various matters he had needed to address back then, he hadn’t had chance to take a good look at it. Since they were still a distance away from the Saint Ascension Platform, this was a good opportunity to examine it.

This book resembled the golden Book of Heaven’s Path before the Library of Heaven’s Path’s upgrade, but its cover was replaced with a deeper tone instead. However, that only seemed to grant it a profound and grand aura.

It seems like with the upgrade of the Library of Heaven’s Path, even the Book of Heaven’s Path has upgraded too… Zhang Xuan noted.

So far, the golden pages in the Book of Heaven’s Path had four main known uses—assimilating the knowledge of the books contained in the Library of Heaven’s Path into his mind, serving as a brick to crush one to death—this was effective on even experts of Vicious’ caliber as well—raising one’s Soul Depth, and sealing an entity within the page.

After the upgrade… would the pages formed within the slightly darker Book of Heaven’s Path possess some different abilities?

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to delve deeper into the matter, a gentle voice suddenly interrupted him. “We have arrived at the Saint Ascension Platform!”

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately withdrew his consciousness from the Library of Heaven’s Path, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Luo Ruoxin standing by the window. Her eyes were gazing at the sight outside, forming a peaceful and picturesque scene.

Zhang Xuan walked up to her, and beyond the window, he saw a tall mountain towering in the midst of an empty plain, resembling a majestic dragon rising to the clouds.

However, what was particularly striking was that the mountain had a flat peak, and from afar, it resembled a massive altar. There was a mountainous path coiling around the mountain that led straight to the top.

“So, this is the Saint Ascension Platform?” Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

By the bizarre work of nature, the mountain seemed to resemble an altar connecting the heaven and the earth together. It would be hard to imagine that there could be such a unique naturally-occurring landscape had Zhang Xuan not seen it with his own eyes.

“It’s said that Kong shi sat at the top of the mountain for three days, and at the moment of his breakthrough, the voices of the angels descended from the heavens, and myriad gongs chimed simultaneously in celebration of his accomplishment!”

Seemingly knowing quite a bit regarding the details of Kong shi’s ascension to Sainthood, Luo Ruoxin explained with a smile, “No one knew what the mountain was like before, but it assumed its current form after Kong shi ascended to Sainthood. It resembles an altar allowing those born on earth to come in touch with the heavens, doesn’t it? Cultivating at the peak of the mountain helps to open up one’s mind, which may aid one in achieving a breakthrough. This is also the reason many cultivators choose to make a pilgrimage here in seek of overcoming their bottleneck.”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Through his Eye of Insight, he could see many silhouettes walking along the coiling mountainous path in the distance.

Just as Luo Ruoxin had said, there were many who visited these grounds in hope of seeking enlightenment. However, whether one succeeded or not would be dependent on their luck.

“As this is the place where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, the Master Teacher Pavilion has deemed this area as one of its sacred grounds. If one wishes to visit the top, one will have to walk up the mountain a step at a time. All forms of flight are banned, and not even Saint realm experts are excluded from the rule… Let’s land at the foot of the mountain,” Luo Ruoxin said.

Out of respect to Kong shi, pilgrims were disallowed from flying straight to the peak. If one wanted to reach the top, there was only one way, and that was to scale the mountain via the coiling mountainous path!

Thus, Zhang Xuan had the Great Violetwing Beast land at the foot of the mountain.

However, before they could even reach the ground, they could already see countless people donned in master teacher robes slowly walking up the mountainous path.

Most of them were Chrysalis realm experts, but there were also a handful of Half-Saints and Nascent Saints too. Some of them were master teachers, but there were also ordinary cultivators amid the crowd as well. It seemed like they had come here in seek of a miracle too.

“Are these experts all from Hongyuan Empire?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

With just a sweeping gaze, he could easily spot over ten thousand cultivators on the mountainous path, and they were all Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and Nascent Saint experts… But when had there been so many experts in Hongyuan Empire?

“Of course not! The Ascension Saint Platform is located near the borders of Hongyuan Empire, at the intersection of over a dozen Tier-1 Empires. Sometimes, even cultivators from the Conferred Empires pay a visit here too. Most likely, of the crowd you see ahead of you, less than one percent is from Hongyuan Empire,” Luo Ruoxin replied.

Zhang Xuan nodded. “I see.”

After all the reading he had done over the past few days, he had obtained a rough overview of the distribution of power in the region.

Hongyuan Empire was a Tier-1 Empire beneath Qingyuan Conferred Empire.

In total, there were several dozen Tier-1 Empires like Hongyuan under Qingyuan Conferred Empire. All in all, Qingyuan extended over several ten million kilometers, and its population exceeded a trillion.

Even though Hongyuan Empire was well-reputed in Qingyuan Conferred Empire due to the existence of the Master Teacher Academy, it was still far from being the largest and strongest among the Tier-1 Empires. At most, it could only be considered as slightly above average.

This was also precisely the reason there weren’t many experts in Hongyuan Empire.

The strongest expert in Hongyuan City was only at Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle, but in some of the more powerful Tier-1 Empires, there might be Saint 2-dan or even Saint 3-dan experts.

Even among Tier-1 Empires, there could be a significant difference in the fighting prowess of each empire.

“Are there Master Teacher Academies in the other Tier-1 Empire too, or is it only found in Hongyuan Empire?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Establishing a Master Teacher Academy is an extremely expensive project requiring huge amount of resources. As such, even though Hongyuan Master Teacher isn’t the only place with a Master Teacher Academy, there are very few Tier-1 Empires that have them. Of the dozens of Tier-1 Empire under Qingyuan Conferred Empire, there are only four Master Teacher Academies in total,” said Luo Ruoxin.

“However, these four academies are located rather far from one another, so not a lot of people are aware of their existence!”

“There are four academies?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

All along, he had thought that Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was the only one among the Tier-1 Empires. Who would have thought that there were three others as well?

Considering that Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had a hundred thousand master teachers, it should be around the same for the other academies as well.

It seemed the Master Teacher Continent was truly huge, at least several dozen thousand times larger than the planet he had lived on previously!

Scary!

Chapter 833: Ancient Secret

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Amid chatter, the Great Violetwing Beast eventually arrived at the foot of a mountain and landed. Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin stepped off its back and watched it leave into the distance before following the crowd on the path up the mountain.

With the master teacher emblem pinned on their chests, there wasn’t anyone who hindered their path.

After taking a few steps, Luo Ruoxin gestured to her surroundings. “Recorded along this path are the insights and comprehension of cultivation that countless predecessors have left behind after paying the Saint Ascension Platform a visit.”

Taking a closer look at the cliff face by the side, there were indeed all kinds of inscriptions on it.

There were two main reasons master teachers would make a pilgrimage there. One was to pay respects to the honorable Kong shi, and the second was to utilize the lingering aura around the Saint Ascension Platform to achieve a breakthrough to Sainthood. Just as there were those who failed, there were also those who succeeded.

Out of sheer delight, those who had succeeded would usually record the insights they had upon breaking through so that future generations could refer to them, and perhaps, take the final step across the threshold as well.

Of course, each insight was only based on the individual’s comprehension, so they might not be applicable to everyone. Nevertheless, over the course of many years, countless insights had accumulated on the cliff faces, making them a valuable source of inspiration.

Most of these detailed the methods and the sensations experienced upon achieving breakthroughs to Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and even Saint realm. Quite a few pilgrims had stopped in their footsteps to study them carefully, mesmerized by the content.

“There are too many insights here. It will take me at least a month to read finish all of them…”

In the several dozen millennia since Kong shi’s ascension to Sainthood, countless experts had visited the Saint Ascension Platform, and the writing extended all the way to the various mountains in the vicinity. Even with Zhang Xuan’s photographic memory, it would still take at least a month for him to see all of the insights.

Glancing at the cultivators who were studying the writing intently, Luo Ruoxin shook her head. “Each cultivator has their own unique constitution, cultivation technique, and personality. Due to these differences, what they require to achieve a breakthrough also differed from one another. These insights may seem like a valuable source of inspiration, but if one were to read too many of them, one might lose sight of what is important and descend into confusion instead!”

As useful as the writing might be, it had its flaws as well.

Most of the insights contained the crystallization of the wisdom of the writer, making them a valuable source of knowledge. However, what worked for one might not necessarily work for another.

The more knowledge one accumulated, the more paths would be opened up before one. But at the same time, it also made it more difficult to sieve out the feasible path from all of the options.

Besides, even though there were countless roads a cultivator could take, all of these roads eventually converged into the same peak.

The Master Teacher Pavilion encouraged cultivators to be innovative and take risks. It was through such a culture that innumerable cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and secret arts had been created over the years. There were even more formidable cultivators who had successfully forged their own unique paths based on their own interpretation of the world, some conflicting with the accepted conventions of cultivation even, but they still managed to create their own feasible system.

Given the astounding complexity and vast number of possibilities within cultivation, there was no cultivator who could possibly make sense of everything. As such, there were many cultivators whose cultivation had gone berserk due to taking in too much miscellaneous information and losing their way.

This was also the reason the Master Teacher Pavilion maintained a tight control over the impartation of cultivation techniques. Only with the permission of a master teacher would a cultivator be allowed to copy the content of a cultivation technique manual. Otherwise, if one were to study indiscriminately, they could very well end up dulling their judgement instead, resulting in confusion.

It was also for the same reason most master teachers were encouraged not to study the writings unless they had been stuck in a bottleneck for too long and couldn’t find the impetus to make a breakthrough.

While others might not be able to fully make sense of the writings inscribed into the cliff face, I am different… Zhang Xuan thought.

There were insights from at least several million cultivators inscribed in the area, and perhaps even Kong shi might have fallen into a state of confusion from this bombardment of information. However, Zhang Xuan was different.

With the Library of Heaven’s Path, he could easily discern truth from falsehood and rationalize everything easily. Such a problem wouldn’t affect him.

But… these writings aren’t in the form of books but engravings on the wall. I wonder if I can take them in…

So far, the Library of Heaven’s Path had only taken in written information in the form of books. Considering that the writings were inscribed on the cliff instead, it was hard to tell whether the Library of Heaven’s Path could copy them in or not.

“I should give it a try. Flaws!” Zhang Xuan muttered softly with his eyes fixated on the wall.

Hualalala!

The next moment, the Library of Heaven’s Path jolted intensely, and countless books fell from the heavens and onto the shelves.

Zhang Xuan took one of the books out and flipped it open. It contained the words which his gaze had been fixated on previously.

It works! Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in excitement.

It seemed that, with the upgrade of the Library of Heaven’s Path, his ability to store information in the Library of Heaven’s Path by his gaze wasn’t limited to only books but possibly written information of any sort too!

I don’t have any use for these at the moment, but once my cultivation reaches the required level, I won’t have to go through the trouble of searching for cultivation technique manuals anymore… Zhang Xuan thought in delight as he followed Luo Ruoxin up the mountain.

Along the way, his gaze would sweep across the cliff face to take in the insights on it.

If he had read them normally, it would have taken him a month’s time at the very least. However, being able to take in the writings with his gaze, his speed was only limited by how fast he could walk. On top of that, the content would be filtered through the Library of Heaven’s Path too, so he need not worry about falling into confusion either.

As the duo advanced, the number of cultivators who lingered by the cliff faces to study the writings reduced, and the number of experts increased.

The bottom of the mountain was mainly filled with Chrysalis realm cultivators, but at their current location, the crowd was predominantly Nascent Saint experts. Because of that, he became the odd one out instead, being the only Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator there.

As the Saint Ascension Platform was considered a sacred ground for master teachers, there were none who dared cause trouble here. Advancing ahead, it took Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin an entire night before they arrived at the peak. There, they saw something resembling an altar.

On the flat peak towered a massive cliff face, and there were countless cultivators densely packed before it.

Some were master teachers, and some were ordinary cultivators, but one thing common among them was that they were gazing deeply into the words on the cliff face, some pondering, some analyzing, some experimenting, and some cultivating.

The surroundings were extremely quiet, as if no one was willing to disturb the tranquility that lingered in these sacred grounds.

“These are the insights that Kong shi had when he ascended to Sainthood,” Luo Ruoxin informed Zhang Xuan telepathically.

“This was left behind by Kong shi?” Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the cliff face.

Majestic words describing a person’s insight in his breakthrough from Nascent Saint to Saint realm were inscribed on the cliff face.

With Zhang Xuan’s deep comprehension of painting, he could tell that the words had achieved a profound level. If not for some kind of power suppressing them, they might have gained sentience and escaped from the cliff face, becoming a lifeform themselves.

Upon reaching the peak of painting, one could create a palpable world with one’s brush, leaving others unable to discern it from the real world.

Legend had it that a 9-star painter once drew out a prison that incarcerated an army of millions to their deaths. The army had no lack of Saint realm experts as well, but not a single person had been able to escape from the world he created.

While the painting on the cliff face had yet to reach such a level, it gave the distinct feeling of a lifeform, as if the words would leap out from their positions and slip away any moment.

After looking for a moment, Zhang Xuan replied with a frown, “Wait a moment… these words don’t seem like Kong shi’s!”

While these words carried an imposing disposition to them, they lacked the magnanimity to harness the world within them.

Since it was something left behind by Kong shi, it should carry altruism for the world in it. But the act of these words attempting to escape by themselves was conflicting with that.

“You have seen Kong shi’s words before?” Luo Ruoxin asked.

“Un. A student of mine has Kong shi’s personal letter which contains his handwritten words. The form might be similar, but there’s something quite different about the words on this cliff face and that…” Zhang Xuan replied.

There weren’t too many words on Kong shi’s personal letter, but they carried an inexplicable force that jolted one’s soul. Even Zhang Xuan had gone through Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy due to that, enjoying a significant rise in his Soul Depth.

But the words before him didn’t carry such a quality.

“You’re right. These aren’t the words left behind by Kong shi…”

Luo Ruoxin shook her head. “Even though this is sacred ground for master teachers and has been guarded carefully by the Master Teacher Pavilion, it has still been attacked by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe multiple times, and in one of those attacks, Kong shi’s heritage was wiped off as well. What you see now is an imitation made by one of the masters of the Painter Guild!”

“Kong shi’s words were wiped off by the Otherworldly Demons? But… didn’t the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe disappear from the world?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

So far, he had only met one living Otherworldly Demon so far, but not only was it a hybrid, it was even talked into committing suicide by him.

Vicious and the Otherworldly Demon puppets were remnants left behind by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but by no means could they could be considered truly alive.

Since the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had already disappeared from the Master Teacher Continent, how could they possess the force to destroy such a well-guarded sacred ground?

They had at least met several dozen thousand Half-Saint and Nascent Saint experts on the journey to the peak. The difficulty in scaling the mountain to destroy Kong shi’s heritage was not any different from barging into the Master Teacher Academy to kill Lu Feng.

In a sense, it could be said to be a nearly impossible feat.

“Disappear? If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has disappeared from the world, why would the Master Teacher Pavilion still be spread across the world? Why would the Master Teacher Pavilion even go through the trouble of establishing Master Teacher Academies here and there? Why would they hold such strict examinations?” Luo Ruoxin said with complex emotions rippling in her eyes as she shook her head.

“Hongyuan Empire may seem calm, but that’s far from the case!”

“Are you saying that… there are Otherworldly Demons in Hongyuan Empire?” Zhang Xuan’s face warped in shock.

“Indeed. You must have heard of the disappearance of the Master Teacher Academy’s old principal as well. If my conjecture is right, that’s probably the doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as well,” Luo Ruoxin said with melancholy.

“The doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?” Zhang Xuan expression turned grim.

If the old principal’s death was truly the doing to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, that would explain why the Byzantium Helios Beast carried such hatred for him back then.

Hu Yaoyao also said something similar to that… Zhang Xuan tightened his fists.

With the presence of the Master Teacher Academy in the city, he had always thought that Hongyuan City was as secure as it could get. However, it seemed like his thoughts were too naive.

“The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe originated from another world. Back then, in order to invade the Master Teacher Continent, they built many passageways linking their world to here, and Hongyuan City happens to be one of the places where a passageway is located… Otherwise, considering how Hongyuan Empire’s national power is only average among the various Tier-1 Empires, how could the Master Teacher Academy be built here?” Luo Ruoxin explained.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had never really thought about this matter before, but Luo Ruoxin’s words were logical and persuasive.

There were indeed many doubtful aspects regarding the choice of location to establish the Master Teacher Academy. However, if the true aim of the Master Teacher Academy was to maintain the seal on the passageway between the Master Teacher Continent and the other world, everything would make perfect sense.

“The reason I brought you here is not to study the words on this cliff face. While the cliff face once contained Kong shi’s handwritten words, what remains is just an imitation. It might be possible to imitate the form, but it is impossible to imitate the intent as well… What I hope for you to do is to use your Eye of Insight to trace Kong shi’s aura and find the real location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood!” Luo Ruoxin said.

“The real location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood? You are saying that… he didn’t ascend to Sainthood on this peak?”

Since this place was known as the Saint Ascension Platform, it was naturally the place where others thought Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood…

Could it be that this Saint Ascension Platform is a fake?

Chapter 834: Saint Ascension Circle

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Knowing what Zhang Xuan was thinking about, Luo Ruoxin replied with a smile, “Of course not. It’s true that Kong shi ascended to Sainthood here, but it’s not certain exactly where in this huge area he did so.”

“This…” Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes blankly.

The flat peak of the mountain in itself extended for several ten thousand mu. On the other hand, Kong shi would only take up, at most, a square meter by himself during his cultivation. To find a single square meter from an area of several ten thousand mu… That was indeed difficult.

“But is there a purpose to finding the exact location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

The entire mountain was permeated with the grand aura that Kong shi had left behind from his ascension to Sainthood. Since that was the case, it shouldn’t matter whether they found the precise location where Kong shi had made his breakthrough at.

Besides, even if they were to find it, considering that several dozen millennia had passed, and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had wreaked havoc here multiple times, what could possibly remain there?

“I just wish to verify a deduction I have… Furthermore, Kong shi’s will still remains here. It will be beneficial to you too if you can find it!” Luo Ruoxin said.

“I will give it a try then…” Hearing the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded.

Activating his Eye of Insight, he began observing the cliff face intently, analyzing every single inch of it.

As expected, those words were just an imitation of Kong shi’s original words. Through the Eye of Insight, he could see a clear difference in the disposition of the words as compared to those written by Kong shi.

A moment later, he shook his head.

“None of Kong shi’s original words remain… I can’t find anything at all.”

“You can’t find anything?” Luo Ruoxin frowned before sighing deeply.

She had already expected such an outcome. After the many assaults on the Saint Ascension Platform by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, all traces of Kong shi had been pretty much wiped clean. Even the possessor of the Eye of Insight would be unable to trace Kong shi’s trail anymore.

The Eye of Insight might be formidable, but tracking down the remains from several dozen millenniums ago was clearly still beyond it.

“What about the surroundings?”

“It’s the same too… Furthermore, there are too many people here, so I can’t clearly discern anything,” Zhang Xuan replied.

There were countless people who scaled the Saint Ascension Platform each day to cultivate, and there were all kinds of formations and tools activated in the area to facilitate their cultivation. To search for Kong shi’s trail—which would be incredibly faint, if it had not completely dissipated, after such a long period of time—amid this chaos was nigh impossible.

After a moment of contemplation, Luo Ruoxin said, “I see… Since that’s the case, try looking at the content of the words inscribed on the cliff face. Perhaps, you might be able to find a clue in it.”

Since it was impossible to find Kong shi’s trail, they could only work from the inscribed words then.

Even though the current words inscribed on the cliff face had not been inscribed by Kong shi personally, the words did come from Kong shi. Perhaps, there might be some clue contained within them.

“Alright.” Zhang Xuan nodded before turning his gaze over to the cliff face.

Flaws!

Zhang Xuan willed, and in the next instant, a book appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

He picked up the book, and a moment later, a bizarre expression surfaced on his face.

Noticing the anomaly in Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s not much, but… it seems like the insight which Kong shi left behind… isn’t that accurate…” Zhang Xuan replied with a frown.

Through the analysis of the Library of Heaven’s Path, it was revealed that there were nine flaws contained regarding the insight Kong shi had left behind.

If it had been anyone else, even if the other party was a 9-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t have been so surprised. But Kong shi… this was a little hard to believe.

Even though these flaws were very minor and inconspicuous ones, making it hard for anyone to notice them, they were still mistakes; this was an undeniable fact.

To think that even the World’s Teacher would make such errors… Was this for real?

Taken aback, Luo Ruoxin asked, “Isn’t that accurate? Do you mean to say that… there are problems with the insights Kong shi left behind?”

“That’s right. There is a total of 3,324 words contained within Kong shi’s insight, and there is a total of nine mistakes in it. Even though these were extremely minor mistakes that wouldn’t affect the overall picture, still…” Zhang Xuan said hesitantly.

On his journey up the Saint Ascension Platform, he had taken in the insights of the predecessors and successfully compiled the Heaven’s Path Divine Art regarding the breakthrough to Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm. Comparing the compiled Heaven’s Path Divine Art with the insight Kong shi had left behind, the errors in the latter were apparent.

Even though what Kong shi had left behind was only an insight and not a cultivation technique, most of the cultivators used it for reference for their cultivation. If it wasn’t altered, even if one could successfully achieve a breakthrough by referencing the insight, the effects wouldn’t be ideal.

“You are able to see the mistakes Kong shi left behind?” Luo Ruoxin exclaimed softly in astonishment as she gazed at him intently.

Who was Kong shi?

The World’s Teacher, the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as the man who brought about the eviction of the Otherworldly Demons from the Master Teacher Continent, ushering an era of prosperity for humanity… His contribution to the world was truly immeasurable!

Part of the reason Kong shi had been able to achieve all of those feats was due to his unparalleled talent and unimaginable capabilities. Countless master teachers viewed him as their goal and aspired to be like him, and yet, this fellow had actually said that there were nine flaws in the insight Kong shi had left behind!

If the master teachers in the surroundings were to hear his words, they would surely fly into a frenzy and pummel him into the ground!

Luo Ruoxin’s exclamation abruptly brought Zhang Xuan back to reality. He suddenly realized that he might have revealed far too much, so he hurriedly patched things up with an awkward smile. “Ahhh… Actually, I am not too sure either. There might be a mistake in my comprehension too…”

Zhang Xuan harbored no doubt regarding the Library of Heaven’s Path’s capability. However, he was currently only a Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator, so it was inevitable that others might doubt his credibility when he mentioned that there was a mistake in Empyrean Kong shi’s words.

“There is no mistake in your comprehension. There are indeed nine flaws in the insight Kong shi left behind!” Paying no heed to Zhang Xuan’s response, Luo Ruoxin nodded affirmatively.

The next moment, however, a deep frown surfaced on her forehead as she continued, “There are only two possibilities to such a happening. First, this insight was left behind by Kong shi right after he achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm, long before he became the World’s Teacher whom everyone respects. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be too surprising that he made mistakes.”

Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Luo Ruoxin didn’t pursue the matter, and after hearing the words of the latter, he couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

It would be unfair to judge Kong shi based on the Library of Heaven’s Path. Even with Kong shi’s unparalleled talent, it wasn’t too surprising that he might have a few minor mistakes in his comprehension of Saint realm, especially since he had barely reached Saint realm himself.

On the contrary, it was an extremely impressive feat for a person to have nine flaws in his comprehension despite only just having reached Saint realm.

“What about the second possibility?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“The second possibility is that Kong shi left those flaws within the insight deliberately. After all, there was no guarantee that there wouldn’t be men with malicious intent or even those of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would attempt to study his insight as well. If so, they would benefit from his teachings as well, and that is no different from delivering a weapon into the hands of the enemies. On top of that, this might be his way of teaching the later generations of master teachers that it is foolish to blindly trust the teachings of others. Even he, the World’s Teacher, could make mistakes, so they must have a mind of their own and discern what is right and wrong for themselves!” Luo Ruoxin said.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Truthfully, he hadn’t thought deeply into Kong shi’s intentions at all.

However, what Luo Ruoxin had said was logical and could very possibly be true.

It was out of a trust in a teacher’s capability that a student would acknowledge the other party as their teacher, but this shouldn’t form the basis of blind trust. Only through doubting and questioning established teachings could one surpass one’s predecessors and reach greater heights!

Could Kong shi have really intentionally left these nine minor mistakes in order to challenge the mindset of master teachers?

If one could doubt even Kong shi himself, one might just be able to achieve what no one else ever had.

On the other hand, if one were to blindly trust Kong shi’s teachings, even if one were to achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm, one would soon find one’s own accomplishments swiftly being capped by a bottleneck.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan said, “If it is the first possibility, Kong shi should have returned to alter the flaws he left after he established the Master Teacher Pavilion… The fact that he didn’t do so means that it is highly likely that it was the second possibility!”

“Indeed.” Luo Ruoxin nodded in approval.

If it was a mistake out of ignorance, as the World’s Teacher, Kong shi would have surely been ashamed of his failure, thus compelling him to return and correct it. But since he hadn’t done so, the odds seemed to lean more toward the second possibility then.

But whether there were flaws in the insight or not had little to do with the exact location of where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood, so there wasn’t much point in analyzing the matter any further.

I should first study the content of the insight first. If this fails, I will just have to look around slowly…

With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into comprehending the writing Kong shi had left behind.

The insight described the process of how Kong shi achieved his breakthrough to Saint realm. Even though it wasn’t explicitly written as a cultivation technique, it was so comprehensive that if one were to jot down the details, it could form a complete cultivation technique.

But of course, this cultivation technique was specific only to Kong shi’s constitution. If others were to attempt a breakthrough via that cultivation technique, what would await them was only their own cultivation going berserk.

This was somewhat similar to what the Heaven’s Path Divine Art was to Zhang Xuan. If others attempted to cultivate the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, they would first find themselves bleeding profusely from their seven apertures 1 before they could accomplish anything.

After studying for some time, Zhang Xuan was unable to find anything reminiscent of a hint from the writing, so he could only give up on it. Standing up, he activated his Eye of Insight and began combing the area.

The peak was extremely spacious. Other than the area before the cliff face, which was completely packed with cultivators, there was still plenty of room to move about.

It didn’t take too long for Zhang Xuan to circle around the area, but he was still unable to find anything. Disappointed, he shook his head helplessly.

He hadn’t expected it to be so difficult.

But thinking about it, if it was that easy, the Otherworldly Demons would have long found the location and obtained the will that Kong shi had left behind.

With his efforts futile, Zhang Xuan was just about to regroup with Luo Ruoxin when a commotion suddenly broke out in front of the cliff face, breaking the tranquility at the peak. There was a large group of people discussing with one another, seemingly sharing their own insights and comprehensions.

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but grab a middle-aged man not too far away and ask, “Excuse me, may I ask what is going on?”

The middle-aged man glanced at Zhang Xuan and replied, “You must be new here! Every day, the Saint Ascension Circle conducts lectures to decipher the essence of Kong shi’s teachings. This is an opportunity for everyone to learn and have their doubts answered.”

“Saint Ascension Circle?” Zhang Xuan had never heard of such an organization before.

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s surprise, the middle-aged man shook his head and said, “The Saint Ascension Circle is a group that specializes in studying and deciphering the writing Kong shi left behind here. It consists of thirteen 7-star master teachers and several hundred 6-star master teachers. They aim to uncover the underlying intentions that Kong shi had when he inscribed his insight onto this cliff face through their research.

“Over the years, they have already gained a deep understanding of the subject. Outsiders like us might find it hard to comprehend the thoughts of Kong shi even if we were to stare at the cliff face for an entire month straight, but through their lectures, we can understand the thoughts that the latter had in mind when he was making his breakthrough to Saint realm.”

“To think that there would be such an organization here…” Zhang Xuan was speechless.

As complicated as it may sound, the circle was actually rather similar to those organizations involved in the study of Redology 2 , Goldenology 3 , and the other classics in his previous life—a bunch of fellows who had nothing better to do with their lives!

If it wasn’t out of boredom, why would they bother scrutinizing every single word written, losing themselves in needless profundities?

Similarly, Kong shi had just left his insight on the cliff face in his moment of delight after successfully reaching Saint realm. What more was there to uncover from that?

To think that so many master teachers would devote so many years of their lives to researching something as insignificant as this…

Just the thought of it rendered him speechless.

The next moment, the middle-aged man exclaimed, “Look, they are here…”

Following which, three elders could be seen walking to the front of the crowd.

Chapter 835: Cornering

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Dressed in master teacher robes, the three elders had snowy hair and beards, and they emanated powerful auras.

“7-star master teachers…”

Glancing at the brilliant emblems pinned at their chests, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

These elders were actually 7-star master teachers! This meant that their strength had already surpassed even the strongest expert in Hongyuan Empire.

“I have kept all of you waiting…” one of the elders said with a smile upon reaching the front.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it resounded clearly within the ears of the listeners. In an instant, the commotion died down.

“It’s only right for us to wait for elders!”

“It’s my honor to listen to elders’ lecture!”

The crowd below clasped their fists in response.

Most of those who stood before the cliff face were Half-Saint and Nascent Saint experts, which translated to 6-star low-tier and 6-star high-tier master teachers. This meant in terms of standing, they paled far in comparison to three elders in front. Under such circumstances where they didn’t know the names of those before them, it was only right for them to address the other party as elders.

“We are all fellow cultivators, so there is no need to stand on ceremony. Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Wu Ran, and I have been managing most of the affairs of the Saint Ascension Circle in recent years. I am a master teacher from Qingzhu Empire, and you can call me Wu shi!” the elder said as he stroked his beard.

“Wu Ran? Could you be the incumbent leader of the Saint Ascension Circle?”

“You’ve heard of him?”

“Of course! Wu shi not only possesses a deep comprehension of Kong shi’s Insight to Saint Ascension, he is also the principal of Qingzhu Academy?”

“Qingzhu Academy? You mean… the Master Teacher Academy located at Qingzhu Tier-1 Empire?”

“That’s right! Qingzhu is one of the four empires out of the 46 Tier-1 Empires under Qingyuan Conferred Empire to have a Master Teacher Academy… While Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy is only ranked third of the four, above only Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, nevertheless, the fact that he could become its principal reflects the immense capability and profound knowledge that he possesses!”

“Seriously? It’s truly a huge honor to listen to the lecture of such an incredible person!”

…

Shock rippled through the crowd when they heard Wu Ran’s name.

While the Saint Ascension Circle would conduct lectures there on a daily basis, most of the time, it was conducted by ordinary members. Thus, many of the cultivators of the peak were surprised to see the leader of the circle, a 7-star master teacher and the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, conducting the lecture himself.

It was truly a huge honor to have the other party decipher Kong shi’s teachings for them personally.

“To my left is Wang Liao, Wang shi, and Sun Jing, Sun shi. If you have any doubts, feel free to direct them to us. We will try to answer them to the best of our ability!” Wu shi said with a smile.

“Wang Liao? I’ve heard of that name before! He once wrote a paper, Kong shi’s Path to Enlightenment, which made a huge uproar in the neighboring Tier-1 Empires. It’s said that the paper brought enlightenment to over three hundred cultivators, thus allowing them to overcome their bottlenecks. He is one of the Ten Great Master Teachers of Qingzhu Empire!”

“I have heard of Sun Jing as well. He is one of the Ten Great Master Teachers to Qingzhu Empire, too. The book that he wrote, Nascent Saint Breakthrough Formula, is one of the most sought-after manuals in the region. I had to pay a huge number of high-tier spirit stones to purchase it… To think that I would meet the author in person here!”

Hearing the names Wu shi introduced, a huge wave of commotion broke out once again.

The two elders behind him weren’t nameless figures either; on the contrary, they enjoyed widespread fame.

Just that… considering that Qingzhu Empire was extremely far from there, such that it would half a month’s journey even on a saint beast, why would those esteemed men suddenly go there?

“Since it seems like everyone knows of us, I will just get straight down to business. I will start from lecturing everyone about the origin of Kong shi’s insight!”

After introducing himself, Wu shi surveyed the surroundings with a meaningful gaze before beginning his lecture.

“As everyone knows, the era which Kong shi lived in was the period of time when the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe held the dominant position in the continent. Back then, mankind lived every single day in fear, not knowing when they might be killed. Living in such tumultuous times, even though Kong shi became a Celestial Saint, an existence recognized by the heavens, he still worried for mankind and contributed to its welfare… As such, if you were to ruminate over the insight closely, even though it carries a tinge of joy from his advancement to Saint realm, at the same time, complex emotions coming from his worry for mankind and the world can be felt from it as well!”

Worry for mankind and the world? Zhang Xuan widened his eyes, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Kong shi had left behind this insight just to remind the later generations to always rely on their own judgement, and to never fully trust the wisdom of their predecessors. How in the world did the other party sense such deep emotions from it?

Your imagination sure is vivid!

But giving the matter some thoughts, that was indeed the job of academics such as them. They strove to uncover the deeper intentions behind the words of the predecessors so that others could better appreciate them. However, they had a tendency to go too far and overthink even the most minor of details so as to flaunt their knowledge, such that if the author were to come alive once more and see their evaluation of his work, he would also be completely flabbergasted!

And from the looks of it, it seemed Wu shi was such an academic as well!

“… Try reading this writing once more with such emotions, and you will be able to comprehend Kong shi’s state of mind then!” Wu shi continued.

“Just like this sentence, ‘Stale rice and cold water, a bent arm as a pillow, but joy lies not in those but in itself.’ This is a reflection of the agony mankind suffered under the oppression of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It can be interpreted that despite the suffering Kong shi endured, he felt utmost joy from working for the welfare of mankind…”

After listening for a while longer, Zhang Xuan’s eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.

It was not that the other party was exactly wrong, but they had elevated Kong shi to a height beyond reach in their hearts, to the point where they view him with rose-colored goggles, failing to see the man himself. This would only lead their interpretation further and further away from the truth.

However, the other party couldn’t be entirely blamed for this either. Kong shi was simply far too much of a venerated figure among the master teachers, and his infallibility had become a deeply-ingrained notion in the minds of many. As such, there was a tendency to evaluate everything that he had left behind in a higher and nobler perspective, and anything other than that would be viewed as challenging Kong shi’s authority and disrespecting one’s teacher.

However, Zhang Xuan was different. As the saying goes, ‘the onlooker gets the clearest glimpse of the situation’. Having come from a different world, he didn’t possess as deep of an impression of Kong shi as most in this world, who had been taught to admire and respect Kong shi from a young age.

On top of that, as one who possessed the Library of Heaven’s Path, he had learned never to place blind faith in the words of others too.

Hong long!

But in that moment, a Nascent Saint cultivator standing just slightly in front of him seemed to have a sudden surge of inspiration, and with a jolt through his body, he abruptly achieved a breakthrough.

That sight left Zhang Xuan completely stunned.

He had just been thinking that the lecture was completely nonsense and would surely be ineffective a moment ago when someone really achieved a breakthrough.

A thought suddenly emerged in Zhang Xuan’s mind.

Could this be… faith?

Perhaps, even Wu shi himself might have been aware that his interpretation had deviated from Kong shi’s original intention, but he still chose to shape his lecture in such a manner in order to play on the deep respect that master teachers had for Kong shi. Through empowering this faith, it could strengthen one’s resolution, turning it into a driving force for one to achieve a breakthrough.

The difference between a Saint and a Nascent Saint lay not only in their cultivation but their state of mind as well!

This explained why despite the far-fetched theories that the Saint Ascension Circle proposed, it still enjoyed widespread popularity among the populace.

Stroking his beard in satisfaction, Wu shi continued, “Not bad, someone has already achieved a breakthrough… Moving on, I believe one of the lines that might have many of you stumped is this, ‘Composure frees worries, and agitation induces disturbance. If one can devote oneself to the calm, a breakthrough is possible even in the state of stagnancy…’ Its meaning is simple. As long as one maintains a composed state of mind, even without sufficient zhenqi, one can still achieve a breakthrough.”

“This…” Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but burst into a soft chuckle.

This happened to be one of the nine flaws reflected in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Maintaining a composed state of mind was indeed important, but one still had to possess sufficient zhenqi to achieve a breakthrough. There was a limit to what sheer willpower could do.

Nevertheless, it was indeed true that a calm mind could give rise to a state of accomplishment through inaction, inducing the growth of one’s zhenqi and ultimately allowing for a breakthrough.

While there was a flaw in the sentence, it was probably Kong shi’s way of telling the later generations that they shouldn’t be overly obsessed with their zhenqi cultivation. Tempering the mind was also of utmost importance. Yet, the other party managed to shape it into a secret art to achieving a breakthrough somehow…

It was no wonder no one had noticed the nine flaws and corrected them over all these years.

It wasn’t that the master teachers were too foolish, but they had placed Kong shi on far too high a pedestal, and this had led to the twisting of the intentions behind his words.

“The friend over there, may I ask if there is anything wrong with my explanation for you to have burst into a chuckle?”

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was about to walk away when he suddenly heard those words.

Raising his gaze, he saw Wu shi staring at him with a deep frown.

While everyone else was listening to the interpretation of Kong shi’s insight intently, that fellow was chuckling silently in the corner. This was extremely disrespectful to both him and Kong shi.

As a 7-star master teacher, he could overlook the insult that the young man was showing to him, but he couldn’t sit idly when someone was clearly scorning Kong shi’s teachings, especially in sacred grounds like this.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan also didn’t expect his gesture to be noticed by the other party. Embarrassed, he clasped his fist and bowed. “Hearing your lecture, I suddenly had an epiphany which resulted in my light chuckle. I ask for your understanding if I have been disrespectful!”

Even if the other party was wrong, it had nothing much to do with him. Knowing that it would only cause a huge uproar if he were to stand up at this moment, he decided to apologize and end the matter there.

“Epiphany? Hahaha, can a Perfect Harmonization realm lad like you understand the content of Wu shi’s lecture?”

“Kong shi’s insight is directed toward Nascent Saint realm experts. Epiphany my head, do you even understand a single word of it?”

“Since you had an epiphany, why don’t you achieve a breakthrough for us all to see?”

…

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, the crowd in the area burst into laughter.

As Nascent Saint realm experts, they didn’t dare claim that they understood Kong shi’s wisdom. Yet, a Perfect Harmonization realm expert like him had claimed that he’d had an epiphany… How conceited!

How could a person have such thick skin?

Wu shi also frowned upon hearing those words. “Oh? If you’ve had an epiphany, may I invite you to share it with us? This is a good opportunity for us to learn from one another!”

“This… I shall not embarrass myself up there…” Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands to turn down the offer humbly.

“Are you trying to say that I am embarrassing myself here?” Wu shi’s face darkened.

“That’s not what I meant though…”

Not expecting the other party to misinterpret his words, Zhang Xuan was stunned. He hurriedly explained, “What I am saying is that with my shallow level of comprehension, my epiphany will only be laughed at, so it isn’t worth a mention…”

“If you are saying that the epiphany you had after listening to my lecture will only be laughed at, does that mean that my lecture is hilarious and not worth a mention too?” Wu shi harrumphed.

“You are misunderstanding my words. I am saying that my comprehension of the subject is still shallow, so…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“If you can have an epiphany despite your shallow comprehension of the subject and chuckle at it, does that mean that the content of my lecture is shallow as well?” Wu shi snapped.

Chapter 836: Collapse of the Saint Ascension Platform

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“If you really wish to understand that in such a manner, there is nothing that I can do…”

Seeing that the other party was picking flaws with everything that he said, Zhang Xuan frowned. “We are all master teachers, and you have made your point. Since I have already admitted my mistake, surely you don’t have to corner me like that!”

“Audacious!”

“How dare you speak to Wu shi like that?”

“Where did this arrogant brat come from?”

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, a huge disturbance broke out amid the crowd.

Having listened to Wu shi’s lecture, the group gathered in the area could be considered to be half-students of his. It was one thing that a Perfect Harmonization realm brat was refusing to listen to the preaching of their half-teacher humbly, but to utter such disrespectful words on top of that… Was he tired of living?

“I am only asking you to share your epiphany here, how am I cornering you here? Humph! To feign knowledge in the face of ignorance, is this the attitude befitting of a master teacher?” With a steely glint in his eyes, Wu shi took a step toward Zhang Xuan.

Hong long!

The immense pressure from the overwhelming might of a Saint 2-dan abruptly fell upon the surroundings as if a tsunami had crashed down upon the area, rendering those caught within it unable to breathe properly.

As one who had dedicated a significant portion of his life to studying the quintessence of Kong shi’s insights, Wu shi carried special feelings for the Saint Ascension Platform. As such, he couldn’t bear to see another disrespecting it.

But from the moment he began his lecture, that fellow had been putting on all kinds of peculiar expressions, even sneering at one point. It was then that his tolerance snapped.

To act so frivolously in the grounds where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood… If the other party was his student, he would have surely expelled him from his academy that very instant!

That was also why he had lowered himself to bickering to a 4-star master teacher despite being a 7-star master teacher himself. It wasn’t out of pettiness but to send out a clear message that any form of disrespect toward Kong shi was intolerable!

Otherwise, if everyone started to act in such a manner, what would become of the Master Teacher Pavilion’s dignity?

Feign knowledge in the face of ignorance? Driving his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, the pressure weighing down on Zhang Xuan dissipated. Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan stared at Wu shi directly in the latter’s eye and shook his head.

I only couldn’t be bothered to point out your errors, but you managed to pin so many sins on me.

But as stifled as Zhang Xuan was within, he didn’t feel like starting anything at this very moment, especially since he was here with Luo Ruoxin. Thus, he clasped his fist and said, “Yes, I apologize for my ignorance and breach of etiquette, and I hope to seek your understanding!”

In any case, he knew better than anyone whether he was ignorant or not. It was pointless to argue with another over this; it was not like he could help what the other party thought of him anyway.

However, if the other party wished to make an example out of him, he should know better than to push his luck further than this.

“To be spouting such arrogant words despite your ignorance, you sure are an embarrassment to master teachers!”

Harrumphing coldly, Wu shi placed his hands behind his back, and with the majestic disposition of a 7-star master teacher, he declared, “I do not wish for someone as presumptuous as you to remain on this Saint Ascension Platform. Take off your master teacher robe and leave the premises!”

“Take off my master teacher robe and leave the premises?” Zhang Xuan’s face immediately darkened.

To be asked to strip one’s master teacher robe and scram from the mountain was a huge humiliation.

If word of this matter were to spread, his path as a master teacher could very well come to an end at this point.

He had already given so many concessions, but the other party simply continued to try to corner him. Did the other party think that he was an easy target to bully just because he was young?

Even if you wish to send out a stern warning to others, you have already made your point. This is going beyond the limits!

Could it be that I have an extremely loathsome face and anyone who meets me just has to provoke me and teach me a lesson?

“That’s right!” Wu shi glanced at Zhang Xuan coldly. “Reluctant? Don’t make me do it personally; it won’t end as simply as that if I have to get involved…”

Noticing the hostility in Wu shi eyes, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Wu shi, revealing his narrowed eyes. “I have already given you so many concessions, but you just want to stick your face in here, don’t you? Your lecture is utter nonsense, filled with flaws everywhere, and it is only out of respect for you as a fellow master teacher that I chose not to expose you publicly. Yet, you started going after me instead!”

He had already gone as far as to apologize, but the other party still refused to step down.

Why? Will you only be contented after you slap my face?

Fine, here is my face… Slap it if you can!

“What did you say?” Not expecting a Perfect Harmonization realm cultivator to speak to him so insolently, Wu shi’s expression turned livid.

Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up as he uttered coldly, “Don’t you have ears to hear what I am saying? Kong shi left his insight as both a warning and advice to the later generations; it is one thing to distort the meaning of Kong shi’s words, but to even go around spreading false teachings and beguiling others, you should be thankful that I didn’t rip apart your lies. To be putting on act before me here, are you trying to act as if you are formidable?”

He had been intending to keep a low profile and say nothing much, but the other party simply refused to stop.

Just because I am sparing your face, do you think that I am some kind of idiot?

Not expecting the other party to speak so rudely to him, Wu shi nearly burst into rage. “Audacious!”

“Audacious? Who is the one being audacious here? Kong shi left his insight here in order to test the later generations. There is a total of nine flaws here, but despite the many years your Saint Ascension Circle has dedicated to uncovering its secrets, you have never noticed them. What have you been doing all these years? As the incumbent leader of the circle, don’t you feel the slightest guilt or embarrassment?” Zhang Xuan spoke sharply without any reservations.

Since the other party had decided to corner him like that, it would be impolite of him not to return the favor.

“Nine flaws?”

“How could Kong shi make any mistakes? This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!”

“Stop talking nonsense over there!”

…

Those words had left not only Wu shi stunned, but it had sparked a huge wave of criticism from the surrounding cultivators as well.

To them, the infallible Kong shi making a mistake was no different from sky falling on them. How could they possibly believe it?

“You don’t believe my words? Fine, I will point out the nine flaws right here and now for everyone to hear!”

Since he couldn’t be bothered to waste any more time bickering over this matter, Zhang Xuan stepped forward to the cliff face and pointed with his finger. A surge of zhenqi gushed out from his fingertip as if a ray of light, highlighting the area where the first flaw was located. “The first flaw lies in this line, ‘Composure frees worries, and agitation induces disturbance. If one can devote himself to the calm, a breakthrough is possible even in the state of stagnancy…’ What this line is truly saying is that one’s strength and spirit must be in harmony in order to attain true power. Strength without spirit makes one no different from a beast, a being with nothing but brute strength. Without a unique encounter, it would be impossible for one to achieve a breakthrough. On the other hand, spirit without strength is nothing more than a pipe dream…

“Kong shi only left behind a portion of the full quote in order to provoke deeper thoughts in the later generation and comprehend that just having spirit alone or strength alone is futile… Yet, Wu shi claimed that as long as one can achieve a composed state of mind, one can achieve a breakthrough even without strength… Impressive, why don’t you achieve a breakthrough to show all of us? What are you waiting for? Go on!”

“You…” Wu shi’s face flushed scarlet in embarrassment.

“The second flaw lies in the phrase, ‘Fear the world, peer into the unknown horizon, embrace worries and fear, and only then will you advance…’ What this means is that it is imperative to feel fear because that will become the drive for strength. If one remains complacent or escapes from one’s fears, one will only stagnate.

“There is no problem with this line for those who have just started treading on the path of cultivation. But upon reaching Saint realm, one will be wrestling with the heavens for power. If one were to allow fear to remain in one’s heart, how could one possibly win against the heavens?

“A true expert must be capable of overcoming anything in their path. Fear should only be the basis to building up fearlessness, and only with a fearless mindset can one charge bravely ahead and overcome all odds in one’s path!

“The third flaw…

“The fourth flaw…”

…

Zhang Xuan’s words were sharp like knives, cutting straight into the flaws of the insights. They might be minor flaws, but it left the listeners in a daze, and they couldn’t help but tremble in astonishment.

It was not that they had never had their doubts regarding certain aspects of the writing, but as this was the insight left behind by the venerated Kong shi, they disregarded such thoughts and blamed it on their ignorance instead.

But in this instant, for everything to be laid bare so clearly before them, their faces couldn’t help but pale, and a tempest raged within their hearts… Could Kong shi really have been mistaken?

But… that’s Kong shi! How could he be wrong?

He was the World’s Teacher…

At that instant, Wu shi was completely dumbstruck as well.

As a 7-star master teacher, he had the judgement to tell that there were no mistakes in what the other party had said. However, as one who had immersed himself in the study of the insight for many years, those words were a huge blow to him, collapsing the faith which he had held firmly for over many years.

“… and this is the ninth flaw!”

In a single breath, Zhang Xuan revealed all nine flaws.

Even though the entire area was ghastly silent, not a single person dared to utter a word or breathe loudly; nearly everyone had already been convinced by his words.

Weng!

As soon as Zhang Xuan’s words came to a halt, a blinding light suddenly burst into the surroundings. The next moment, nine words from the nine flaws abruptly tore out from the cliff face and morphed into nine massive words.

“My commendations. Blindly trusting another, why not trust yourself!”

At the same time, the words in the nine flaws began rearranging themselves, and in just a short moment, they were corrected, and the writing became perfected.

“This is… Kong shi’s acknowledgement?”

“He received Kong shi’s acknowledgement?”

“It’s not that Kong shi was mistaken, but that… this is a test he left behind for the later generations!”

“It’s a pity that we never saw through it. Even the Saint Ascension Circle was unable to do so over all of those years…”

…

How could the crowd still not comprehend what was going on after all that had happened? Their bodies stiffened, and they couldn’t help but kneel to the ground.

Since even Kong shi had given his acknowledgement, it could only mean that the words of the young man were correct!

Wu shi’s ridicule and their mockery had instantly become nothing more than a joke.

“Th-this… Has all the time I spent studying Kong shi’s writing been futile?” In this moment, Wu shi’s face paled, and he couldn’t help but stagger backward weakly.

The complexion of the two elders beside him, Wang shi and Sun shi, also paled, and they could hardly accept what was happening before them.

It couldn’t be more apparent to them that it was a test Kong shi had set for them, but they had gone centuries without noticing it, and they had even taken pride in their analysis…

With many years of debates among many master teachers, the members of the Saint Ascension Circle had thought that they were only a step away from fully comprehending Kong shi’s intent. But in this instant, it suddenly dawned on them that…

All of those profound theories they had come up with were nothing more than utter gibberish!

Kacha!

With the appearance of those nine words, an incomparably powerful aura suddenly spread over the crowd, jolting their souls. In an instant, they lost control of themselves and entered a unique state of mind.

Following which, the cliff face behind began shaking violently. As if it had finally fulfilled its raison d’être, cracks began appearing on it.

The cracks swiftly crept across the entire cliff face, shrouding its entirety before everything abruptly collapsed with a deafening ‘boom!’. Smithereens flew all over the place, and a huge cloud of dust rose in the air.

In just a few short moments, the 3,324 words Kong shi had left behind had disappeared from existence.

The heck…

Watching as all of that unfolded before him, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was going to burst into tears.

He’d known that there were mistakes with the insight, but he hadn’t thought that the cliff face would be so fragile as to collapse just by having them pointed out…

You fell valiantly and magnificently with a bang… but what about me?

With all of the master teachers gathered here to witness how I ‘murdered’ you, they will definitely have me pay with my life…

Must you really do me in like that?

“Hmm?”

On the other hand, Luo Ruoxin was busy searching around for the exact location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood when she abruptly heard the deafening rumble. Astonished, her body trembled in astonishment as she hurriedly turned her gaze to the cliff face.

There, she saw the dazed Zhang Xuan, whose mouth was twitching non-stop before the cliff face.

Both her eyes and mouth slowly widened in shock.

I was only gone for a moment!

Y-y-you… What did you do this time?

This is the Saint Ascension Platform, you know! How can you destroy this as well?

Chapter 837: Folded Space

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The very heart of the Saint Ascension Platform lay in the insight inscribed into the cliff face at the very top.

As this was something that Kong shi had left behind, there was no master teacher who didn’t view it as a sacred relic. None dared to speak loudly before it for fear of desecrating it.

Yet, you actually reduced it to smithereens shortly after your arrival. In its current state, even restoration is no longer a feasible option…

It is one thing for you to mess around in the academy. After all, in consideration of its own reputation, the academy will try to suppress the matters that happen within its grounds.

But this…

Do you have a deep-seated grudge against all infrastructures, or were you simply born with the innate potential to become the God of Destruction?

Does the word ‘careful’ not exist in your dictionary?

To dare destroy even the sacred lands where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood… Can’t you at least pick a less prominent target than that? You are slapping the entire Master Teacher Pavilion in its face!

Without a doubt, you can’t even need to dream of leaving the mountain anymore. Any moment now, countless master teachers will be pouncing on you, grinding you into meat paste.

Speechless, Luo Ruoxin hurriedly rushed up to Zhang Xuan, grabbed his sleeve, and hurriedly pulled him away to flee.

She was the one who had taken Zhang Xuan there, so she felt that she had to take responsibility for him.

No matter what, it couldn’t be wrong for them to flee at that very instant. Otherwise, once everyone came to, they would be goners!

“Hmm?”

Luo Ruoxin had thought that Zhang Xuan, knowing that he was in deep trouble, would flee with the lightest tug, but to her surprise, the latter was completely motionless. It was as if he was rooted to the spot.

“Hurry up and leave!” Luo Ruoxin exclaimed anxiously.

“Just wait a moment!” Zhang Xuan grabbed Luo Ruoxin’s sleeve and halted her instead. With his other hand, he pointed to the rubble and said, “Take a look at this.”

“Take a look at what?” Hearing that Zhang Xuan was still in the mood to look at the rubble, Luo Ruoxin frowned.

However, what she saw next left her eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

What was within the rubble wasn’t just dust or debris but a meter square stone platform with a peculiar light halo circling above it as well. A holy and majestic aura flowed from it, reminiscent of an object from the heavens.

“Could this be… the place where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?” Luo Ruoxin’s body trembled in agitation.

That was the main reason she was there. After going around the peak and finding nothing at all, she had thought that perhaps it had already disappeared along with the ages, never to be found again. Who could have known that it would be hidden in the cliff face instead!

That explained why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been unable to find anything despite ransacking the place.

Back then, what they had destroyed was only the words on the wall, but the cliff face had survived their rampage.

In the midst of her shock, Luo Ruoxin felt someone tugging at her sleeves.

“Let’s head over there to take a look!” Zhang Xuan said as he pulled her to the stone platform.

Without any hesitation, Luo Ruoxin swiftly followed behind him.

The light halo was barely visible amid the cloak of dust drifting in the area. Walking up to it, Zhang Xuan’s hand stretched for it and touched it lightly.

Hu!

The light halo immediately expanded, enveloping their bodies. The next instant, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin suddenly felt an intense falling sensation as the world flew past them, disappearing in a flash.

When the brilliant flash of light finally dissipated, Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin, and the stone platform disappeared from sight, as if they had never been there in the first place.

…

“So that is indeed the truth behind the insight! I never would have thought that my years of research were actually in vain…”

It was only after the disappearance of the duo that Wu shi and the others finally began to move once more, as if having just recovered from their shock.

After the appearance of the nine words from Kong shi’s acknowledgement, they had been sent into a momentary trance. It was only a short while after that they finally returned to reality.

Recalling the mystical sight they had just seen, their faces flushed scarlet in agitation.

Wasn’t the goal of the Saint Ascension Circle to uncover the real meaning behind Kong shi’s words?

Even though the one who had done it was just a Perfect Harmonization realm lad, it was a fact that they had finally uncovered what they had sought for innumerable years!

“Where is the esteemed elder who deciphered Kong shi’s insight?”

The crowd hurriedly turned to the location where Zhang Xuan had been standing a moment ago, but the ground was completely empty. There was not a person to be seen.

At the same time, their address had also turned from ‘brat’ to ‘elder’ as a form of respect.

“He isn’t here anymore. He was standing right there just a moment ago…” Wang shi muttered in astonishment.

In their perception, barely a second had passed since the appearance of the nine words from Kong shi, but that was only a false impression they had due to the momentary trance. They bore no recollection of Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin stepping into the cloud of dust and disappearing in a flash of light, as though everything that had just occurred was a dream.

“To be able to decipher Kong shi’s intentions and earn his acknowledgement, that young man is anything but simple… It’s a pity that we know nothing about him!” Wu shi shook his head in embarrassment.

Just a moment ago, he had been accusing the other party of feigning knowledge in the face of ignorance. However, it couldn’t be clearer to him at this moment that the other party was far more knowledgeable than him.

He felt like a clown prancing around a true expert to flaunt his half-baked knowledge. His actions were truly embarrassing.

Nevertheless, a 7-star master teacher should have the magnanimity worthy of one. He had indeed wronged the other party, and if given a chance to meet that elder once more, he would surely apologize to the other party sincerely.

“Wu shi, the cliff face has collapsed…” Sun shi remarked in worry.

Each year, countless cultivators would visit the Saint Ascension Platform in hopes of achieving a breakthrough. For such a thing to happen, how were they supposed to explain this to the Master Teacher Pavilion?

“The Saint Ascension Platform is a valuable asset, but the writing on the wall was not Kong shi’s personal writing but an imitation. Besides, even though it has collapsed, we have perfected the insight instead. Thus, not only is there no loss to the Master Teacher Pavilion, it’s also a huge merit! I will contact the Painter Guild right now and have them send someone to conduct restoration works. This time, we shall inscribe the correct version onto it!” Wu shi said with glowing eyes.

Kong shi’s words had already reflected his acknowledgement and acceptance of this matter. Since even Kong shi wasn’t angry, who were they to be furious in his stead?

Not to mention, with the perfected insight, they would surely be able to attract more people to the Saint Ascension Platform, thus furthering Kong shi’s teachings!

“Wang shi, help me calm everyone down here. Sun shi, follow me to comb the surroundings to see if we can find the young man. If we could have him lecture here on Kong shi’s writing, we will surely benefit greatly from his teachings!” Wu shi said.

“Alright!” Sun shi and Wang shi nodded.

After making arrangements, Wu shi and Sun shi hurriedly headed down the mountain to pursue the young man. With their nimble footsteps, it didn’t take long for them to reach the bottom of the mountain. Yet, it was as if the young man had just vanished from the face of the world.

That young man might have caused the collapse of the cliff face, but he had correctly interpreted Kong shi’s intentions and won his acknowledgement. Despite being 7-star master teachers, they were only glad that they could see such a grand sight with their own eyes.

“It’s such a pity…”

Unable to find the young man, the duo sighed deeply in lamentation.

…

After disappearing from the spot, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin suddenly found themselves standing in a completely different place from where they had been previously.

Before them was a lush field of grass and flowers. Not too far away, there was a simple straw cottage.

“Where… is this?” Zhang Xuan was dazed by this abrupt change in surroundings.

It was just a moment ago that he had been standing at the peak of a mountain, but in the blink of an eye, he had suddenly appeared in a field.

Recalling that he was still grabbing the other party’s sleeves, he quickly turned around, only to see Luo Ruoxin’s reddened face as she hurriedly tugged her sleeves out of his grip.

A moment later, after she had recovered from the embarrassment, Luo Ruoxin took a look at the surroundings and said, “If I am not mistaken, this should be… a folded space!”

“Folded space?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

“Un. A folded space refers to a region where space is pressed together to create vast lands in a very small area. Storage rings are a use of folded space, too. However, the conditions in storage rings are too extreme to contain humans whereas folded space such as this can,” Luo Ruoxin replied.

Zhang Xuan nodded. “Sounds like the Myriad Anthive Nest…”

“That’s right, it is fundamentally similar to the Myriad Anthive Nest, but folded spaces are typically much larger.”

Luo Ruoxin nodded. “It isn’t too difficult to determine whether the place you are in is a folded space or not. As folded spaces are usually artificial and less stable, the space within it shakes easily with sufficient force.”

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and abruptly punched forward.

Hong long long!

An immense shock wave burst into the surroundings, and the surrounding space seemed to shake slightly.

“It does seem to be rather unstable,” Zhang Xuan remarked.

This verified that the area they were in was indeed a folded space.

However, to be able to compress such a huge space into just a small area, this capability was far more powerful than that possessed by the Anthive Myriad Queen. Just how fearsome must the one who constructed it be?

Having guessed Zhang Xuan’s thoughts, Luo Ruoxin said, “Unless one possesses some kind of exceptional means, only 9-star master teachers are capable of utilizing this ability!”

“9-star master teachers?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

That was an existence that stood at the very top of the continent. Even with the Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t dare to speak loudly before such an existence.

There was simply too huge a disparity between their standing and strength that not even his disguise could make up for.

“Could this have been left behind by Kong shi?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Just by touching a light halo hidden within the cliff face on the Saint Ascension Platform, he had been transported here. As such, it was likely that this was Kong shi’s design.

By exposing the flaws publicly, Zhang Xuan might have triggered some kind of mechanism that Kong shi had left behind on the cliff face.

“That’s very possible, but… it’s still too early to say for sure. Let’s head to the straw cottage to take a look first. Perhaps, we might find something conclusive there!” Luo Ruoxin said.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan replied.

The straw cottage looked rather shabby, similar to that which he had seen on Leiyuan Peak. The door was unlocked, and pushing on it lightly, ‘jiya!’, the duo entered the cottage.

The room was around twenty to thirty square meters large. There was a square table at the center of the room, and an ancient scroll was placed on it.

Zhang Xuan exchanged glances with Luo Ruoxin before reaching for the scroll and opening it gently.

Words were written on the scroll, and the content was identical with what was inscribed on the cliff face outside.

These words weren’t as fanciful as those outside, but as simple and inelegant as they were, they seemed to strike a chord deep within one’s heart.

“This is… Kong shi’s handwriting!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed.

The next instant, his blood flow hastened as if triggered by something, and he subconsciously began releasing the authoritative aura of a Celestial Master Teacher.

Soon, he fell into a trance.

“Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy?” Luo Ruoxin frowned.

Without a doubt, what was left on the scroll was definitely Kong shi’s personal writing.

Only the World’s Teacher had the capability to draw one into a unique state of mind just by his words alone.

Once triggered, the Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy tempered one’s state of mind, raising one’s Soul Depth. It was an encounter that happened only by chance and was desired by all master teachers.

Knowing that she mustn’t interrupt Zhang Xuan at this crucial moment, Luo Ruoxin left him to be. She took a swift look around the cottage, but other than the scroll, there was nothing else to be found. Shaking her head slowly, she left the cottage.

She took a walk around the fields surrounding the cottage, and the frown on her face slowly deepened. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking, but the slightly expectant gleam in her eyes seemed to have dimmed in disappointment.

Chapter 838: Meeting Kong shi Once More

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Hu!

After the passing of an unknown amount of time, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.

My Soul Depth has grown by 2.0!

With the Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy that he had just undergone, his Soul Depth had increased from 19.1 to 21.1.

One of the prerequisites to taking the 7-star master teacher examination was to possess a Soul Depth of 21. In other words, in terms of Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan was currently on par with a 7-star master teacher!

For a 4-star master teacher to possess the Soul Depth comparable to a 7-star master teacher, this revelation could surely leave many shocked to death!

The hardest aspect that had many master teachers stuck was not their cultivation or their supporting occupations but their Soul Depth.

For it to have grown by 2.0 with just a single trip, he had not spent the previous few days in vain.

All of a sudden, just as Zhang Xuan was about to put away the scroll, a bright light suddenly flashed from it, and a scholarly young man dressed in a white robe suddenly appeared in the room.

It was only an illusory figure formed of light, but the features of the young man were extremely distinct, just like a real person.

“To be able to avoid the pitfall of respect and find the flaws in my insight, you did well!”

The young man seemed to be in his early twenties. With a slight smile, he gazed at Zhang Xuan in commendation.

Taken aback, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes. “You are… Kong shi?”

The figure before him might be young, but he did bear a striking resemblance to the old man he had seen during his first acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher in Tianwu Kingdom.

Most likely, the other party was Kong shi in his youth!

It was recorded in the books that Kong shi had managed to become a 9-star master teacher before reaching his thirties. They were at the Saint Ascension Platform, which was where Kong shi had made a breakthrough to Sainthood. The corresponding master teacher rank to his cultivation realm then would be 6-star, so making a rough estimation, the other party’s age should indeed be around his early twenties too…

“My surname is indeed Kong…”

The young Kong shi chuckled. “I am nothing more than a sliver of will now, so I won’t be able to maintain my state for too long. Since you were able to find the flaws in my insight and interpret my true intentions, it can only mean that our fate has intersected. The scroll in your hand contains the cultivation technique I used when achieving a breakthrough to Sainthood. Study it well, perhaps it might be useful for your future cultivation.”

“It contains your cultivation technique?” Zhang Xuan took a glance at the scroll.

The content of the scroll was identical to what was inscribed on the cliff face, the only difference being that the scroll contained the personal handwriting of Kong shi and harnessed his grand aura.

Back outside, when Zhang Xuan had taken in the words on the cliff face via the Library of Heaven’s Path, he hadn’t seen a cultivation technique in it…

Had he not been sufficiently thorough in his study of it?

It seemed he would have to look through it carefully when he had time.

“Also, these words harness my essence, breath, and spirit after I ascended to Sainthood. Use it well, it will benefit you greatly.”

The young Kong shi said with a smile, “I will just end it here. After all, cultivation is an individual journey. Work hard, perhaps fate might bring us together once more in the future!”

After saying his piece, the illusory figure began to waver, seemingly ready to dissipate at any moment.

Seeing that Kong shi was about to disappear, how could Zhang Xuan possibly waste any time? Pushing the matter regarding the book to the back of his mind, he quickly asked anxiously, “Wait a moment! I still have a question to ask. From an ancient record, I learned that you were plagued with the Innate Fetal Poison in your earlier years. May I know how you cured it?”

He knew that Kong shi had also suffered from the Innate Fetal Poison from the ancient records, and this was a rare chance to ask the other party about the matter. He wasn’t going to let this opportunity go so easily.

“You are also afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison?” Hearing those words, the young Kong shi was taken aback.

“That’s right!” Zhang Xuan quickly replied. “How can I solve the issue?”

“Hahaha, I am not alone in my path!”

But instead of answering, the young Kong shi’s eyes gleamed in excitement as he laughed heartily. “Finally, another person just like me. Good…”

Hu!

In the midst of his words, the young Kong shi vanished, and his voice gradually faded in the room.

A sliver of will left several dozen millenniums ago couldn’t possibly maintain its existence for too long. It was already a blessing that it had lasted as long as it did.

You… Zhang Xuan was overwhelmed with frenzy.

You haven’t answered my question yet…

Is that fellow really Kong shi?

Don’t they say that Kong shi had a heart that embraced the world, shouldering the responsibility for the welfare of the world on his shoulders, a good man through and through?

But why was he so creepy instead?

Hearing that I am afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison, it is one thing for him to not tell me the cure, but to get excited at that as well… What you are not alone in your path, and that I am like you… Are you that glad to see another person as unfortunate as you?

More importantly, good? Good your head!

Zhang Xuan’s face was streaked with black lines.

He had been thinking that it was a good opportunity to uncover the cure for the Innate Fetal Poison through the sliver of will Kong shi had left behind. But who knew that… not only did he not receive anything substantial, he ended up being laughed at instead.

Forget it. The Kong shi at this age probably hadn’t found a solution yet either… Feeling extremely stifled inside, Zhang Xuan consoled himself.

Considering that the sliver of will had been left behind right after Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, he could only be a 6-star master teacher at best. Since he hadn’t even cured his own Innate Fetal Poison then, it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t have a solution to it yet.

To find the cure, Zhang Xuan would have to find a 9-star master teacher Kong shi.

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan tossed aside those frustrating thoughts and studied the scroll in his hand instead.

The scroll was made of bamboo pieces weaved together. Despite being several dozen millenniums old, there wasn’t the slightest wear and tear to it.

Studying the words written on it closely, Zhang Xuan realized that it wasn’t written using ink but inscribed using a unique method, which made the words look more wholesome and dignified.

If I study this calligraphy carefully and master it, I will be able to further my accomplishments in painting! Zhang Xuan thought excitedly as he felt the pulsating power infused within the words.

As the first master teacher, Kong shi had been skilled in many occupations, and painting was one of them. Even though he was only a 6-star master teacher when he left those words, his comprehension of painting was already on par with 7-star or perhaps even 8-star painters.

If Zhang Xuan could examine and learn his calligraphy, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to advance his painting skills to 6-star or 7-star.

As for the cultivation technique that Kong shi had spoken of earlier, Zhang Xuan was still unable to find anything about it at the moment. It seemed like he could only decipher it bit by bit to uncover the secret hidden within.

Knowing that Luo Ruoxin was waiting for him, Zhang Xuan was just about to place the scroll in his storage ring when he suddenly felt something. Looking around him and verifying that Luo Ruoxin was nowhere near, he took out a book from his robes.

It was the Book of Heaven’s Path that had Vicious sealed within.

Previously, out of fear that he would be lynched for destroying the cliff face on the Saint Ascension Platform, Zhang Xuan had taken the book out from his storage ring in preparation for whatever would come at him.

Zhang Xuan flipped open the book and asked the heart, “What’s wrong?”

This fellow had been beating wildly, seemingly intent on saying something.

“That is Kong shi’s personal handwriting, his will is harnessed within it… Why don’t you allow me to devour it? With it, I should be able to recover a fair bit of my strength and be of more help to you!” Vicious said greedily.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger at the heart in the book.

That was Kong shi’s handwriting, an invaluable treasure! How could he possibly give it to Vicious to devour?

“You have already memorized his writing, so the scroll shouldn’t mean anything… If I devour it, I will be able to convert my killing intent into a purer and more orthodox form… In fact, I should be able to imitate Kong shi’s aura as well and teach others a lesson in your stead!”

Under Zhang Xuan’s flick, Vicious spun around several times before eventually crashing to a stop. Unwilling to give up on such a precious opportunity to regain his strength, he hurriedly continued as soon as he recovered. “In any case, I am suppressed by this book of yours, so you don’t have to worry about me escaping your control. So, the more strength I recover, the safer you will be…”

“Don’t even dream about devouring this book! I will try to think of another way for you to recover your strength!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands before putting away both the scroll and the book decisively.

It wasn’t easy for him to receive Kong shi’s personal handwriting, so he couldn’t allow that fellow to consume it. Besides, he had only obtained this due to Luo Ruoxin’s help, so this artifact belonged not just to him but her as well.

He would have to discuss with her to decide on how they would deal with the scroll.

However, there was one thing that Vicious was right about. The stronger Vicious became, the safer he would be.

Zhang Xuan had faith in the prowess of the Book of Heaven’s Path, so he didn’t need to worry about Vicious revolting against him. After all, no matter how powerful an existence was, could he possibly rise above the heavens? No matter what happened, Vicious would just have to listen to his words obediently.

Forget it, I will think of a plan later on… Knowing that it was futile to think about all of that now, Zhang Xuan shook his head and walked out of the straw cottage.

The next moment, he saw the silhouette of a young lady standing in the field not too far away. For some reason, her figure looked forlorn.

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s presence, the young lady turned around and asked with a smile, “How was it?”

“I benefitted greatly from it… What about you? Did you get what you came here for?” Zhang Xuan asked in return.

The other party had said that she had gone there to confirm her deductions. They had managed to find the exact location where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood, but as for whether she did succeed or not…

“I did find some stuff, but… Forget it, let’s not talk about it!”

Reluctant to speak any further, Luo Ruoxin shook her head and said, “It’s good that you managed to undergo a Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy. This trip hasn’t been a waste for you. Alright, I think we should get going now!”

“Yes, we should…” Zhang Xuan nodded slightly before he suddenly recalled the scroll and took it out from his storage ring. “Since we found this together, you are also a partial owner of it. How do you intend to deal with this?”

Luo Ruoxin smiled. “You were the one who found this folded space, so naturally, it should go to you.”

Having thought over the matter after entering the folded space, she had realized that it probably hadn’t been Zhang Xuan’s intention to destroy the cliff face. Instead, it was more likely that he had solved some kind of test that Kong shi had left behind which resulted in the triggering of some kind of mechanism.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “This won’t do. We found this together, so how can I take it for myself…”

If it wasn’t for Luo Ruoxin bringing him here, he wouldn’t have even known that the Saint Ascension Platform existed, let alone come here.

At the very least, he had managed to undergo a Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy from this trip, but the other party hadn’t gained anything. This left him feeling too guilty to take the scroll for himself.

Seeing Zhang Xuan’s response, Luo Ruoxin chuckled softly. “There is no one in this world who doesn’t desire to obtain Kong shi’s personal handwriting, but here you are, trying to give it away to me…”

This wasn’t some grass by the street but Kong shi’s personal handwriting!

Even the Sage Clans would fight one another just to obtain it, and yet, that fellow seemed to think nothing of it at all… It was hard to tell whether he was truly a fool or not.

“Alright, the scroll is of no use to me. If I really want it, I have the means to find more of those. Rest assured and keep it,” Luo Ruoxin said.

“No use to you?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Even though he had no idea why such an invaluable artifact would be useless to Luo Ruoxin, her earnest attitude didn’t seem like she was simply reassuring him for the sake of it.

I am not too sure about the details regarding Sage Clans, but perhaps… they have no lack of Kong shi’s handwriting! Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

Considering that the other party was likely from a Sage Clan, the Luo Clan, and that such clans had millenniums of history, it wouldn’t be too surprising if they had Kong shi’s personal handwriting in their treasure vaults.

Besides, this writing had been left behind when Kong shi had just ascended to Sainthood, long before he had reached his peak. Perhaps it didn’t hold that much allure to offspring of large clans like that.

“I won’t stand on ceremony then…”

Seeing that Luo Ruoxin truly didn’t want it, Zhang Xuan returned the scroll to his storage ring. Following which, he assessed the surroundings, and with a perplexed look, he asked, “How do we get out of a folded space?”