Chapter 1925: Kong Shiyao Challenges the Ancient Sage (Part 1)

"Cough, cough, Teacher Zhang, please get to the point!" Ancient Sage Yan Qing couldn't stand it any longer.

The Ancient Sage Tribulation is the greatest calamity a cultivator faces, akin to transcending the Heavenly Dao. Without being an exceptional genius, even with ample Ancient Sage power, one cannot break through. Kong Shiyao was able to attempt the breakthrough due to the fixed resource allocation among the major clans. As a descendant of Master Kong, the Kong Clan possessed more abundant resources. While other clans had long exhausted their Ancient Sage power, the Kong Clan still retained a trace. Yet, even with these advantages, every previous attempt had left her disfigured and near death. And now, this man was suggesting... treating the calamity like a pet, to love and care for it...

Could he please speak normally? This was too absurd, too out of line!

"I *am* getting to the point!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, gazing at the churning dark clouds in the sky. With a grab in mid-air, a bolt of lightning was instantly torn from the heavens and landed in his palm.

*Crack! Crack!* Held firmly, the lightning bolt thrashed, attempting to escape, but was unable to break free. Zhang Xuan smiled gently, "There, there! Don't struggle. We're all good friends; there's no need to run away..."

His voice was soft and gentle, as if he were kindly addressing a pet. Confronted with his demeanor, the struggling lightning bolt seemed to hesitate, then ceased its resistance, slowly settling down. It then merged into his skin and flowed into his body.

Kong Shiyao and the others stared with wide eyes. "This... can that truly work? It seems utterly ridiculous!"

"That's how you do it. You need to be loving, and it's best not to resist. Absorb the lightning and heavenly fire into your body; only by gaining its trust can you make it obedient..." With a flick of his hand, the lightning reappeared in his palm. Zhang Xuan then stroked it with his other hand, much like one would stroke a cat nestled on their arm.

The onlookers could barely watch, their faces etched with doubt. Could the Ancient Sage Tribulation genuinely be overcome this way? If that were true, why had no one dared to attempt it in tens of thousands of years?

"The moment the calamity appears, it's incredibly powerful. Who would dare treat it like a pet? Don't worry, trust me; you won't regret it! Soon, when you draw the Ancient Sage Tribulation, directly open all your acupoints. Swallow it, absorb it – do not offer any resistance! You must feel its presence with your heart... If you do all these things, I guarantee you can successfully overcome this calamity!"

Noticing their thoughts, Zhang Xuan explained. Kong Shiyao, however, remained hesitant. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but his words were simply too outlandish...

"What's wrong? Do you not believe me, or do you lack confidence in yourself? If you feel you can't overcome the fourth Heavenly Tribulation, then just give up..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand, a touch of disappointment in his eyes. "Master Kong has always been my idol. I had thought his descendants would be as brave and fearless as him, but I never expected such timidity..."

"You don't need to try reverse psychology on me!" Kong Shiyao snorted. "At worst, I'll die. We, the descendants of the Kong Clan, have never known fear! Alright, just tell me what I need to do!"

Seeing her agree, Zhang Xuan nodded, a look of satisfaction on his face. He quickly reiterated his method, which remained the same: once the Ancient Sage Tribulation was drawn, there was no need to resist. Instead, she should guide it into her acupoints and meridians, feel it with her heart, and nurture it with love...

Kong Shiyao's scalp tingled. Despite feeling how preposterous it was, and the risk of being instantly struck dead, she finally gritted her teeth. "I'll try!"

With that, she disregarded Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others' attempts to dissuade her. Her lithe form blurred, and she soared straight into the sky, reaching the airspace above Tianxuan Kingdom in the blink of an eye.

"Not here! Find a secluded spot!" Knowing that her drawing the Ancient Sage Tribulation could easily devastate this ancient land, Zhang Xuan quickly urged her.

Kong Shiyao's body flickered, and within a few breaths, she was far from Tianxuan Royal City, arriving at a deserted mountain range. Zhang Xuan and the others stood tens of kilometers away, observing from a distance.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!* Without hesitation, Kong Shiyao elevated her internal power to its absolute peak. Her true qi surged forth like boiling water, emitting a deep, rumbling sound akin to muffled thunder. The intensified aura immediately drew the attention of the Master Teacher Continent's Heavenly Dao. Dark clouds churned, and the lightning that had previously gathered at the entrance of the Kunxu Realm now converged, accumulating as if ready to rip her apart at any moment.

"This..." Seeing the clouds grow denser and more expansive, sensing an uncontrollable force, Ancient Sage Yan Qing could no longer hold back. He looked over and asked, "Teacher Zhang, can such formidable lightning truly be tamed and nurtured with love?"

"Of course not!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Can't?" The others swayed, nearly losing their balance. Hadn't he just spoken so confidently? Why the sudden reversal?

"The Ancient Sage Tribulation is the Heavenly Dao's punishment for cultivators; it's a destructive force, an enforcer. Taming it... how could that be possible? 'Nurturing it with love' and 'feeling it with your heart'... those were just things I said casually!" Zhang Xuan explained.

"Just said casually...? But you told Kong Shiyao not to resist! If that's false, she'll die!" Ancient Sage Yan Qing nearly exploded. There had to be a limit to jesting! Kong Shiyao was the only descendant of Master Kong whose bloodline purity exceeded "eight." If she died, how would they ever face their ancestors?

"Don't worry, just watch for now!" Zhang Xuan gently smiled, stopping those who were about to rush forward and rescue Kong Shiyao.

At that moment, the girl had amassed sufficient power. The lightning and calamity in the sky, no longer able to withstand the mounting pressure, struck straight down.

*Crack!* Lightning, mingled with heavenly fire, descended from above, instantly engulfing an area hundreds of meters wide. Kong Shiyao thought, "If he can do it, why can't I?"

Kong Shiyao's muscles tensed, her true qi poised to erupt from her body in resistance, but she forcibly suppressed it. If she were to resist, even if she survived, she would undoubtedly be ridiculed by that man. The mere thought of his smug expression filled her with irritation. As a dignified descendant of Master Kong, she would sooner die than endure such humiliation!

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* The heavenly fire and lightning rained down upon her. The onlookers, terrified, instinctively covered their eyes, fearing the girl would be ripped to shreds the next instant! Yet, after waiting for a considerable time, no such outcome occurred. Unable to resist, they cautiously opened their eyes, and what they saw left them all rooted to the spot in astonishment.

There she stood, the girl who had opened all her acupoints and offered not the slightest resistance to the Ancient Sage Tribulation, now bathed in the cascading lightning. The heavenly fire and electricity flowed into her body, causing neither explosion nor destruction. As if nothing untoward was happening, they quietly coursed through her veins, as docile and obedient as if they had been tamed.

What... what just happened? Everyone wore expressions of utter disbelief, staring at the young man before them. They had dismissed his words as a deceptive trick, never imagining they could actually be true. If this truly worked, could *he* try it too? Yan Xue felt a surge of eagerness.

"Teacher Zhang..." Ancient Sage Yan Qing could no longer contain himself and finally spoke, "What exactly... is going on here?"