Chapter 1267: Two Auditor Students

Led by a renowned master, they quickly arrived at a grand hall.

Inside the room, Hall Master Wu, Yao Mantian, and others were present. In the guest seat sat a middle-aged man in brocade robes, and behind him stood two young men.

A discreet glance revealed that the middle-aged man's aura was concealed within him, profound and unfathomable like thunder, making it impossible to discern his true strength.

The two young men, with their Primordial Spirits firmly rooted within them and power as vast as the ocean, were both masters at the Mid-tier Primordial Spirit Realm.

Judging by their age, they appeared to be under thirty. Possessing such strength at such a young age could only be described as 'terrifying.' They were likely no weaker than Zhang Jiuxiao, perhaps even stronger.

“Teacher Zhang!” Hall Master Wu rose upon his entrance, smiling as he introduced, “This is Envoy Zhao Xingmo, Teacher Zhao, from the Sage Temple! Teacher Zhao, this is Teacher Zhang Xuan, whom I mentioned to you. His talent is unparalleled; he is not only considered the best in the Qingyuan Empire but likely holds a prominent position even among the eight Great Conferred Empires!”

Zhao Xingmo merely glanced, nodded, and his face remained expressionless.

It seemed he was well accustomed to such introductions, displaying not the slightest ripple of emotion.

Noticing the other party's lack of interest, Zhang Xuan likewise showed little concern and instead surveyed his surroundings.

Besides these individuals, Zhang Jiuxiao and more than ten young geniuses from the Qingyuan Master Teacher Hall were also in the room.

“Since everyone is here, let's begin!” After a brief wait, two more individuals arrived. Zhao Xingmo, apparently in a hurry, frowned and spoke.

Hall Master Wu acknowledged him, then swept his gaze across the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, I believe Teacher Zhao requires no extensive introduction; he is the welcoming envoy for this selection process to the Sage Temple! Now, I invite him to explain the assessment procedure and what preparations are needed.”

Everyone looked over in unison.

“No preparation is needed. I will state the requirements directly; those who do not meet them need not waste their time!” Zhao Xingmo raised an eyelid, waving his hand with an expressionless face. “Those of you who came for this assessment presumably already have some understanding of the Sage Temple. To gain entry, the first strict requirement is to be a Seven-star Master Teacher under thirty years old, with a cultivation level at or above Saint 3-dan, Fetal Embryo Realm… All of you present appear to meet this criterion. However, in my opinion, the higher your cultivation, the better. Currently, two individuals have reached Saint 4-dan. They will remain; the rest of you may leave…”

“This…” “Is the selection already complete?” “Isn’t this too simplistic?” Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, surprised that only two remained after the initial cut based purely on cultivation level.

“The Sage Temple is not merely a Master Teacher Academy that accepts everyone who meets certain criteria. It is the highest institution on the entire continent, dedicated to nurturing Sages. If your strength is insufficient, do not waste your time here!” Zhao Xingmo frowned. “I do not have endless time to spend on you!”

“Uh…” Hall Master Wu was taken aback by his bluntness, feeling somewhat awkward. “Isn't it too arbitrary to make a decision based solely on cultivation? Teacher Zhao, perhaps you should re-evaluate? Some Master Teachers may not have high cultivation, but they are formidable in other areas.”

“No need. This is merely the preliminary selection. Upon reaching Qianchong Empire, a second round of selection will be held, and upon entering Sage City, there will be a final assessment. If one's cultivation doesn't even reach the Primordial Spirit Realm, they won't pass the second round, so bringing them along would be a waste of time!” Zhao Xingmo waved his hand dismissively.

“Very well…” Seeing the other's resolve, Hall Master Wu could only shake his head with a wry smile, then addressed the remaining individuals: “Do not be disheartened, everyone. Cultivate diligently, and you will make significant progress wherever you are. It is not necessarily essential to enter the Sage Temple!”

“Yes…” Knowing that the Hall Master’s words carried comfort, the more than ten geniuses could only shake their heads and turn to leave.

In reality, they also had self-awareness. Although their cultivation and talent were not too weak, compared to Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao, they were still quite far behind.

Given only one spot for Qingyuan City, they certainly wouldn't be chosen.

Once the others had departed, leaving only Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhao Xingmo's gaze sharpened on them.

“The Sage Temple selects the most elite individuals of the human race, those who will eventually govern territories and become formidable leaders… To command others' allegiance, mere words are useless; strength is paramount! Therefore, strength is the foremost criterion.”

Zhang Xuan nodded. He deeply resonated with this point. While schemes and disguises might awe people for a short time, what truly commanded respect was one's own strength!

Indeed, just like his current self: unmatched in the Qingyuan Empire, he feared nothing with such power as his backing.

Relying solely on disguise would weaken one's confidence and eventually be exposed.

Thus, a true potentate never relies on schemes, but on overt and formidable might.

Should someone refuse to yield… crush them until they submit!

The Master Teacher Hall governs the world partly by reasoning with people and acting justly. More importantly, however, they possess an absolute combat prowess that other professions dare not challenge.

There were once two professions that caused considerable trouble: the Soul Oracles and the Poison Masters.

The former were directly eradicated—their lineage now broken, not a trace remains; the latter were driven into hiding, daring not to reveal their true identities.

This is not tyranny, but authority.

Likewise, the aristocratic families of the Saint Domain are feared not merely because their ancestors were Sages, but because even to this day, they possess awe-inspiring power and profound foundations.

Mercy is only possible with power; without sufficient strength, anything said is meaningless.

Zhang Jiuxiao also acknowledged this, deeply moved.

Although he belonged to a side branch, if his cultivation had already reached Saint 6-dan or 7-dan, his family would similarly hold him in high regard, and he wouldn't have been reduced to wandering in a small Conferred Empire, vying for such a hard-won spot.

Seeing that the two understood, Zhao Xingmo nodded and pointed to the two young men behind him.

“These two are auditing students from the Sage Temple. While not exceptional, they are far from weak, and working together, they can form a unique combined attack formation. Whichever of you can withstand three moves from their combined effort will pass!” *Whoosh!* As he spoke, the two young men stepped forward, their power unleashing. The entire hall instantly grew cold, and a profound sense of oppression settled over everyone.

“So strong…” Although no blows were exchanged, their sheer aura revealed that despite being only at the Mid-tier Primordial Spirit Realm like him, both possessed the combat power of a peak Primordial Spirit Realm master. When they combined their efforts to form a formation, they could likely even contend with an ordinary expert at the early Stage of Separation.

In other words, even Hall Master Wu, an early Stage of Separation expert who had endured lightning tribulations, might not be able to win against their combined strength.

These… are just auditing students?

How strong then, would the true students of the Sage Temple be?

“Which of you will go first?” After his explanation, Zhao Xingmo looked at them.

Zhang Jiuxiao meticulously studied the two individuals before him for a long moment, then shook his head with a wry smile. “Teacher Zhang, I wasn't aware you also intended to enter the Sage Temple. Since you are going, I… I will withdraw!”

“Withdraw?” Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned.

He had been anticipating a contest, but to his surprise, this genius from the Zhang clan conceded outright.

“Yes, rather than bring humiliation upon myself, it's better to withdraw voluntarily…” Zhang Jiuxiao said with a sigh of helplessness.

Having traveled from his family to secure this sole spot, he naturally harbored a deep yearning for the Sage Temple. He had initially been confident of success, but then Zhang Xuan arrived, completely shattering his confidence from every angle.

Previously, he had considered himself talented and capable of putting up a fight. However, ever since he learned that the other party was a Celestial Master Teacher, he no longer dared to entertain such thoughts.

Such a person was destined to be recorded in history; he was simply not someone he could contend with.

Moreover, he had just calculated that with his current strength, the likelihood of withstanding three moves from the opponent was slim.

“This…” Seeing his expression, Zhang Xuan hesitated, then looked up at Zhao Xingmo: “Teacher Zhao, you just said that whoever can withstand three moves from their combined effort will pass the assessment, right?”

“Correct!” Zhao Xingmo nodded.

“Alright then, if both of us can withstand their moves, does that mean Qingyuan Empire can have two spots to enter the Sage Temple?” Zhang Xuan continued.

“Both of you can withstand?” Zhao Xingmo scoffed, his face expressionless. “It’s also possible that neither of you will pass!”

“That’s not certain!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Previously, due to Luo Ruoxi, he had harbored considerable prejudice against the Zhang clan. However, after spending some time with Zhang Jiuxiao, he realized the man was merely a little arrogant, not as insufferable as he had initially believed.

The spot for the Sage Temple was originally Zhang Jiuxiao's; he had left his home and spent several years in Qingyuan City for it. It would feel truly wrong to simply take it from him… If both of them could go, it would be a win-win situation.

“If both of you can withstand three moves, I will consider it… However, do not overestimate yourselves; those three moves from them are not easily endured!” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s confident expression, Zhao Xingmo warned.

It was merely a consideration; he didn't believe that a Master Teacher from a small Conferred Empire could withstand three moves.

“Just considering it is enough. Whether we can withstand three moves depends on our own strength…” Zhang Xuan smiled.

“Confidence is good, but I hope it’s not arrogance!” Frowning, Zhao Xingmo said: “Alright, which of you will go first?”

“I’ll go!” Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan swayed his body and released his cultivation. At only the Mid-tier Primordial Spirit Realm, he appeared insignificant before the two young men.

“Quite the boast. Let us brothers see what kind of strength you possess!” The two young men sneered, swaying their bodies to position themselves on either side of Zhang Xuan, one to his left and one to his right.

Though they hadn't moved yet, they had completely sealed off all vitality around them, giving the feeling of being locked in a cage.

“They've already employed psychological suggestion and pressure before even making a move. Quite skilled…” Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly.

As expected of masters from the Sage Temple; they've already given psychological suggestions before acting. Those with weaker mental fortitude would likely panic immediately.

Once such emotions fermented, they would greatly affect combat. A slight misstep could very likely lead to a direct surrender before even engaging.

“Your combat method is good, but when it comes to mental fortitude, you’re still a bit weak compared to me…” Lifting his chin, Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and slowly took a step forward.