Chapter 1770: The Spring and Autumn Ceremony Appears

Zhang Xuan's state of mind had previously reached 29.99, only one step away from the final breakthrough.

He had intended to use the Bodhi tree to cultivate diligently and break through as soon as possible. Unexpectedly, after reading so many books, he directly crossed the ancient sage's 30.0!

30.1!

30.2!

30.3!

…

In the blink of an eye, it reached 31.9 before slowly coming to a halt.

In an instant, it had increased by nearly 2.0 marks.

Boom!

With the surge in state of mind, a storm erupted in his mind, like a native born in the countryside entering a bustling metropolis—everywhere dazzling lights, everywhere singing and dancing, a blur of colors. Old and new thoughts clashed, and even life itself seemed to undergo a fundamental change.

Techniques and cultivation methods that were previously incomprehensible now rapidly deduced themselves in his mind, becoming simple, easy, and free of difficulties.

Not only that, but he could also sense the existence of ancient sage power and even mobilize it to temper his body and alter his own life level.

In other words, with this ability, the chances of breaking through to ancient sage increased greatly!

"No wonder they say that only with a breakthrough in state of mind can one have a chance at becoming an ancient sage…"

Feeling this change, Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

Earlier, his father had told him about the many conditions for breaking through to ancient sage, emphasizing state of mind. Now, it seemed indeed to be the case.

If one compared an ancient sage to a gate, a breakthrough in state of mind was like a crack appearing in the door. As long as one had enough strength, they could enter at any time and enjoy the scenery inside.

That is to say, if he were now at the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm and had sufficient ancient sage blood, he could completely muster his strength and reach the ancient sage realm!

"Although I haven't reached that realm yet, at this moment, no one can see through my disguise as an ancient sage, and the pressure of an ancient sage can no longer harm me…"

Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

Though he was still far from the highest realm of the Master Teacher Continent, with his breakthrough in state of mind and his disguise technique, even if he pretended to be an ancient sage, no one could see through it. Moreover, the oppressive aura of an ancient sage could not harm him in the slightest.

Refreshed and clear-minded, his thoughts flowed smoothly, and the negative emotions brought on by reading so many books were swept away.

"Continue!"

In one go, his eyes swept over the mountain of books. Countless volumes fell into the Library of Heaven's Path one by one, becoming his own knowledge.

Soon he reached the mountaintop.

There was nothing special here, only a stone platform. He approached and touched it with his palm.

Boom!

Once again enveloped in light, just like before, he vanished from the spot.

There was no mountain of books, no books at all. Before him appeared a small boat and a vast ocean.

Lying on the small boat, swaying with the tides, he looked into the distance. The ocean was immeasurably vast, with no end in sight in any direction.

The blue sky merged with the sea, and he knew not where the direction lay, nor where he should go.

"There is a path to the mountain of books, and diligence is the path; the sea of learning has no bounds, and hardship is the boat…"

Sighing with emotion, Zhang Xuan no longer felt the previous panic but instead had a sense of sudden enlightenment: "It seems this should be the so-called sea of learning…"

Earlier, there was the mountain of books, where one needed to read to form steps and move forward slowly. This sea of learning before him was probably the same principle: without learning, the boat could not advance, and one would never find the other shore.

The sea breeze brushed against the gunwale, playing a melody like a clear, resounding magical sound.

The waves churned, like a rich ink painting.

Beneath the surface, countless schools of fish drifted, forming special messages, as if evolving some kind of formation.

After watching for a while, Zhang Xuan slowly became immersed in it.

A thorough understanding of the world is knowledge; all things under heaven can increase one's wisdom. Looking up at the vastness of the universe, looking down at the abundance of fish, the sea before him was filled with knowledge. Combined with what he had learned from the mountain of books, in an instant, he felt a sense of integration.

As the boat drifted, Zhang Xuan's heart grew calmer with the current, and his soul became more expansive.

All kinds of knowledge flooded into his mind. At this moment, Zhang Xuan was like a dry sponge, constantly absorbing the flowing water.

He did not know how long had passed.

His body trembled, and he stood up. Calligraphy, music, artifact forging, beast taming, spirit awakening, medicine, formations...

All the professions he had learned before returned to their essence, reaching the nine-star level!

At this moment, even without applying to the headquarters of the Master Teacher Hall, he could easily take the examinations for the nine auxiliary professions and become a true nine-star master teacher.

In fact, his understanding of these professions rivaled that of the former Master Kong, far surpassing so-called geniuses and guild leaders.

The more professions he learned, the clearer his mind became.

Whoosh!

After continuously learning who knows how many professions, feeling that he was proficient in everything and knew everything, light enveloped him again. When he opened his eyes, he found himself still standing in the passage. From leaving to returning, only a minute or two had passed!

Having experienced the mountain of books and the sea of learning, it felt to him like at least ten days. He never dreamed that outside, it was only such a short time.

It was truly a fleeting dream.

Turning his head to look around, he saw Luo Qiqi and the other two master teachers still standing in place, their bodies swaying continuously, as if still enduring trials and not yet awake.

And Luo Ruoxi?

He looked around, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

The six people who followed him in—Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan had failed the assessment and been teleported outside. Now Luo Qiqi and the other two were still here, but where was Luo Ruoxi? She had vanished without a trace.

Could it be... she failed the assessment and was teleported away?

Just as he was wondering, the voice of the stone statue of Master Kong sounded again in his ears.

"Passed the assessment! Continue forward, exit the passage, and you will see the Spring and Autumn Ceremony! Refine it, and you will be worthy of receiving my inheritance."

"Find the ceremony first!"

Hearing this voice, he breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Xuan did not pause any longer but hurried forward along the passage.

Having undergone the tempering of the Mountain of Books and the Sea of Learning, his state of mind had reached the level of an ancient sage, and the oppressive pressure around the passage no longer had any effect on him.

Before long, he arrived at the end of the passage.

It was also a seal, blocking the progress of cultivators.

Zhang Xuan flicked his palm, and a small talisman appeared in the air. Gently touching it, the seal slowly opened, revealing a gap. He shook his body and walked in.

Immediately after, a spacious hall came into view.

In the middle of the hall, a stone platform lay across the center. A book rested flat on it, emitting a dazzling light.

On the cover of the book, two large characters were written in ancient script: “Chun Qiu.” On the surface, time seemed to flow, making it impossible to discern whether this book belonged to the past or the future, giving the impression that it could leap into a time rift at any moment, drifting away from the present.

“This is the Spring and Autumn Canon?”

His eyes brightened, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists, ready to rush over and find a way to refine it. Then he saw a figure suddenly appear on the stone platform, gently pinching with his hand, picking up the Spring and Autumn Canon.

“Ruoxi…”

Recognizing the figure's appearance, Zhang Xuan was stunned.