Chapter 1902: The Charlatan

Awkward.

Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

Those present, including Yan Qing and the other ancient sages, were all figures who had lived for tens of thousands of years. It was clearly impossible for them to take him as a teacher, and he couldn't bring himself to ask. Yan Xue had a conflict with him, and the only one who qualified, Kong Shiyao, had refused without any hesitation.

Actually, it wasn't her fault. As a descendant of Confucius, cultivating the legacy of Confucius, she stood on the shoulders of giants. Even Yan Qing, an ancient sage, was unqualified to be her teacher, let alone others!

Even if the person before her was also a Heaven's Chosen Mentor.

Though her talent might not match his, she still had this pride.

"It concerns whether we can resolve the trouble in Kunxu Realm..." Zhang Xuan shamelessly explained. "And it's not about taking you as a direct disciple; just acknowledging me as your teacher in your heart will do!"

He had experimented with the Book of Heaven's Path many times. As long as one acknowledged him as their teacher in their heart and felt genuine gratitude, it would form—it didn't require appointing a direct disciple.

"Taking you as my teacher can resolve the current situation?" Kong Shiyao frowned.

If he hadn't just slain a deity and resolved a major crisis, she would have thought he was a fraud.

"Alright, let's do this. I'll give you guidance first, and you can decide whether to take me as your teacher!"

Looking at the dark clouds gathering faster and faster above, knowing that the heavenly tribulation would descend again, Zhang Xuan said.

Time didn't allow for a detailed explanation. Besides, the Book of Heaven's Path involved the library, which he couldn't explain. So instead, he might as well use his knowledge to win her over.

Turning to the girl before him, not waiting for her to speak, he continued: "You possess the purest bloodline of Confucius within you. Any martial technique or cultivation method, you learn instantly and master immediately. Your cultivation speed far exceeds ordinary people. Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, though you reached the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm no more than three years ago, you've already triggered three heavenly tribulations, and each time you suppressed your cultivation without breaking through to the Ancient Sage!"

Kong Shiyao nodded.

These matters were not secrets; almost all experts from the Hundred Schools of Thought knew them. It was no surprise he could see through them.

"Having triggered the heavenly tribulation three times, your cultivation has grown stronger each time, which greatly helps in breaking through the void and escaping the Heavenly Dao in the future. But... have you also noticed that as the number of tribulations increases, a great隐患 has emerged?"

Zhang Xuan continued: "That is... the power of the heavenly tribulation has fused into your marrow. Even now, there remains an unremovable force within you, like a thorn in your back! If I'm not mistaken... your third tribulation was about two years ago. That means you triggered three tribulations within a year, but for the fourth, you've remained silent for two full years without attempting it. From the looks of it, it's not that you haven't tried, but that you dare not..."

Kong Shiyao's face turned pale. She involuntarily stepped back, her eyes filled with disbelief.

This matter was her deepest secret, one she had never dared to speak of. She never dreamed that this person would expose it in one go.

Three years ago, she reached the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm. She wanted to emulate her ancestor's glory by triggering four tribulations before breaking through to the Ancient Sage... The first three were dangerous, but she succeeded with some close calls. However, after the third, she suddenly realized that the power of the tribulation had fused into her marrow, and she couldn't expel it no matter what!

If she triggered another tribulation, even if the calamity wasn't strong, it would assimilate the power within her, turning her completely into part of the tribulation. Not only would she fail to become an Ancient Sage, but she might also lose herself and die.

Knowing this, she, who had triggered three tribulations in a year, stopped completely and dared not continue. For two full years, she found no better solution. As time passed, the assimilation grew worse.

To resolve this problem, she had consulted countless texts but found no answer. He had spoken it out in one breath—did he have a solution?

"Since I can see it, naturally I know the solution and the crux of the problem!" Zhang Xuan smiled and said. "You should be able to tell that I've also triggered several tribulations, yet I don't have this symptom in my body!"

Kong Shiyao suddenly understood, and her eyes involuntarily lit up.

Like her, he was at the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm, yet he could fight against Void-breaking experts without falling behind.

Apart from being a Heaven's Chosen Mentor, he must have also triggered several Ancient Sage tribulations like her, suppressing his cultivation without breaking through.

"I wonder... how can I resolve this? If it's correct, taking you as my teacher wouldn't be a problem..." Kong Shiyao gritted her teeth and said.

If she could resolve the隐患 and trigger the fourth tribulation, she could catch up to her ancestor and eventually break through to the Void-breaking Realm!

With such strength, even if the seal had problems again, she wouldn't need to worry.

She could even follow her ancestor's footsteps into a higher world, going further and further.

"Actually, it's very simple. The Ancient Sage tribulations you experienced were not unleashed by the Heavenly Dao of the Mentor Continent, but by the power inherent in Kunxu Realm. This world was created by Confucius using a passage, containing his power... For others, it's no different from the tribulations outside, but for you, the essence and origin are easily fused and cannot be expelled!"

Zhang Xuan said.

In Kunxu Realm, two seals blocked the gaze of the Heavenly Dao of the Mentor Continent, so the Ancient Sage tribulations triggered there were naturally not released by the Heavenly Dao.

The reason they looked the same was that they were all left by Confucius.

To use a greenhouse as an analogy, this tribulation was like artificial rain or human-intervened weather inside the greenhouse. For plants, it was no different from the outside, but for the one causing the rain, it was somewhat awkward.

The more tribulations one experienced, the stronger the homologous power became, and the more one absorbed, making it naturally harder to break through further.

"What should I do?"

Kong Shiyao looked at him urgently.

If he hadn't said it, she wouldn't have known. Now that it was clear, she realized the cause and felt a surge of panic.

"To completely resolve it is actually not difficult: trigger the Ancient Sage tribulation again on the Mentor Continent! Of course, your cultivation is already so profound now. If you trigger it again, you might die! It's a double-edged sword. If you don't trigger it, the power accumulates more and more, and you'll eventually lose the chance. If you do, the Mentor Continent's tribulation, which you've never encountered, could easily obliterate you on the spot!"

Zhang Xuan smiled and looked at her. "However, if you take me as your teacher, I can teach you the method to deal with the Mentor Continent's Ancient Sage tribulation!"

"This... Fine, I'll take you as my teacher, but I hope you won't hold back!" Kong Shiyao didn't waste words. She knelt directly and kowtowed several times.

Seeing that the Book of Heaven's Path appeared, indicating she wasn't truly grateful, Zhang Xuan sighed and said, "Actually, triggering the Mentor Continent's Ancient Sage tribulation isn't complicated. The most important thing is to treat it like a pet, cherish it, care for it, think of it in every way, feel it with your heart, warm it with love..."

"..." Kong Shiyao's face twisted, and she wanted to punch this guy into pulp.

Why did he sound so much like a charlatan?