Chapter 1777: Main Hall Appears

"It's not that he failed at the last step. Haven't you noticed that Yuan Tao deliberately suppressed his cultivation, choosing not to break through for now?" Luo Ruoxi said, looking up at the young man suspended in the air.

"Not breaking through for now?" Zhang Xuan asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Exactly!" Luo Ruoxi nodded. "For an Ancient Sage, if the first attempt to break through isn't successful, the difficulty of the second attempt doubles. That's why many choose to succeed in one go... However, such a success often results in the weakest outcome!"

"Breaking through to Ancient Sage status is essentially an act of resisting the Heavenly Dao, an attempt to transcend it. While a single successful attempt can achieve this, the limited time spent resisting the Heavenly Dao means one doesn't fully master the power, nor does it become perfectly integrated and fluid. If the first attempt fails, but you accumulate strength for a while and try again, the tribulation's difficulty doubles, but your proficiency in wielding power will also significantly increase. Successfully overcoming it then will greatly benefit your future cultivation," Luo Ruoxi explained.

"This... is this similar to how Heavenly Acknowledged Sages and Master Kong broke through to Grand Sage? Is it a form of tempering?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

Breaking through to the Saint realm involved the Enfeoffment and Heavenly Acknowledged Saint methods. Breaking through to Grand Sage involved superior methods for deeper accumulation and greater power. Could it be that this so-called Ancient Sage breakthrough also had a similar principle?

"You could say that. Breaking through to Ancient Sage is like sifting gold from sand; the more you sift, the purer and more condensed your true qi becomes! Master Kong himself attempted to break through to Ancient Sage three times without succeeding before his fourth and final attempt, where he instantly achieved mastery, becoming unrivalled in the world. That's how he became the Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations, whose achievements overshadowed all others!" Luo Ruoxi said, her hands clasped behind her back and her gaze profound. "Although Yuan Tao didn't succeed in his breakthrough just now, his physical body has actually absorbed Ancient Sage blood and reached the Ancient Sage level! This means he now possesses an Ancient Sage body! While he isn't an Ancient Sage yet, most newly breakthrough Ancient Sages are no match for him."

"This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Yuan Tao's Ancient Sage body was already astonishing enough, but Master Kong attempting to break through to Ancient Sage three times without succeeding... Every cultivator yearns to transcend their current realm, elevate their life's essence, and dominate the world, yet Master Kong could resist such a temptation. This level of mental tempering was truly extraordinary. No wonder he could lead humanity to its current standing; Zhang Xuan truly felt inadequate in comparison to this ability.

"Wait, not many people should know these secrets. How did Yuan Tao... come to do this?" He mused, then suddenly froze.

Even figures like Master Yang and Xing Jiansheng were unaware of this method for breaking through to Ancient Sage. It was understandable for Luo Ruoxi to know these things given her special background, but how could Yuan Tao, who had come with him from Tianxuan Kingdom, understand such profound secrets and resist the temptation to halt his progress?

"He swallowed Master Kong's imprint. His understanding of cultivation even surpasses that of the Seventy-Two Sages, so it's normal for him to know these things!" Luo Ruoxi explained. "Unfortunately, after refining this imprint, one is easily influenced by Master Kong, which would be detrimental to your growth. Otherwise, I would definitely have let you swallow it!"

"Detrimental to my growth?" Zhang Xuan gave a wry smile.

If he could still break through and become that powerful, what did 'growth' truly matter?

"You are a Heavenly Acknowledged Master Teacher. You must forge a path different from Master Kong's. Following someone else's path would, at best, make you the next of the Seventy-Two Sages; you could never surpass them!" Luo Ruoxi said, observing his expression.

"Hmm," Zhang Xuan nodded. To surpass those who came before, one must first challenge their predecessors. Blind obedience would only lead to stagnation.

Just like the Seventy-Two Sages, each was a supremely talented and brilliant individual with boundless potential, yet because they perfectly embraced Master Kong's legacy, none ultimately surpassed him. However... without accepting his legacy, one might not even reach Ancient Sage status, living a life of mediocrity. The choice, then, lay in a single thought.

*Crack! Crack! Crack!* While he was lost in thought, he suddenly saw a beam of light shoot straight up from the Altar of Apricot Trees before them, piercing the sky. Immediately after, five more beams shot upwards. As the six beams converged, the deep blue sky seemed unable to withstand the immense power, and a dark fissure slowly appeared.

Behind the fissure, an even larger hall slowly emerged.

"It's the main hall of the Temple of Confucius! The main hall has appeared..." Ren Qingyuan cried out, his voice filled with excitement.

Up until now, only six sub-temples of the Temple of Confucius had appeared; the main hall had never been seen. But now, with all six activated, their combined power had broken the final seal, and the main hall... had emerged! The legendary Spring and Autumn Grand Ceremony, said to be capable of altering the continent's destiny, was located here!

"Let's go!" Yan Xue glanced at the main hall appearing in the sky, then at Yuan Tao and Zhang Xuan not far away. Though filled with reluctance, he knew nothing more could be done. He gave a shout and charged straight towards the spatial rift. Numerous members of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe followed closely behind.

"You all go ahead!" Knowing that the main hall had only appeared but wasn't yet open, Zhang Xuan wasn't in a hurry. Seeing Master Ren and the others eager to move, he smiled, gave his instruction, and continued to watch Yuan Tao nearby. His student's power had now completely stabilized, and the Heavenly Tribulation was beginning to dissipate.

"Teacher!" Yuan Tao opened his eyes, feeling the power coursing through him. Filled with excitement, he took a few steps forward and knelt directly on the ground. His previously sealed six senses had broken open when the imprint entered his body, and he knew that his current strength was entirely due to his teacher's help.

"Hmm," Zhang Xuan nodded with satisfaction.

One had to admit, this opportunity was immense. By swallowing the imprint left by Master Kong, Yuan Tao's cultivation had broken through in one go. At this moment, he not only surpassed Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan but even Zhang Xuan himself couldn't temporarily catch up.

"Although you now possess an Ancient Sage body, your rapid advancement has left your state of mind somewhat unstable. I will now impart a cultivation method to strengthen your mental fortitude... combined with this Bodhi Fruit, it will have unexpected effects!" With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan produced a Bodhi Fruit and handed it over.

Even though Yuan Tao had integrated the imprint of Master Kong's teachings, his state of mind still needed to be cultivated step by step.

"Yes!" Yuan Tao took the fruit and swallowed it, immediately feeling his state of mind rapidly soar. If it were Zhao Ya or others, they might need to prepare in advance and adjust their state before consuming the Bodhi Fruit, but with his Ancient Sage body, Yuan Tao had no such need.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* After giving instructions to Yuan Tao, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist again, and Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, Luo Qiqi, and others simultaneously appeared before him.

"The main hall is opening. Do you wish to join me in seeking opportunities, or continue cultivating?" The main hall of the Temple of Confucius opened only once every tens of thousands of years, presenting a monumental opportunity for everyone. It would be a great pity to miss it due to cultivation.

"We want to go and see!" Zhao Ya nodded.

"Me too!" The other two responded simultaneously, their eyes burning with fervor as they looked at the palace in the sky.

Luo Ruoxi glanced at Zhang Xuan, who had released Luo Qiqi from his folded space, but remained silent.