Under the lead of one of the master teachers, they soon arrived at a massive hall.
Pavilion Master Wu, Yao shi, and the others were seated in the room. Seated on the guest seat was a middle-aged man dressed in embroidered robes, and behind him stood two young men.
Taking a closer look, the middle-aged man's aura was concealed within his body, reminiscent of a bolt of lightning, making it impossible to gauge his cultivation.
The two young men had Primordial Spirits residing within their bodies, harnessing immense strength. Surprisingly, they were both Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage experts.
Judging from their age, they were probably in their thirties as well. For them to wield such strength at such a young age, one could only use the word 'fearsome' to describe them. Most likely, they were even stronger than Zhang Jiuxiao.
"Zhang Shi!"
Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Wu stood up and introduced with a smile, "This is the welcoming envoy of the Sanctum of Sages, Zhao Xingmo! Zhao shi, this is the person I told you about, Zhang Xuan, Zhang Shi. His talent is unparalleled, and not just in the Qingyuan Empire, he's likely to stand at the top of the Eight Conferred Empires as well! "
"Un."
Zhao Xingmo took a look at Zhang Xuan before nodding expressionlessly.
It was as if he was already used to such introductions.
Seeing that Zhao Xingmo wasn't too interested in him, Zhang Xuan couldn't be bothered with him either.
Zhang Jiuxiao, Mingshi Tang, and the dozen or so young geniuses from the Qingyuan Empire were also in the room.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin!"
A moment later, two more people entered the room. Zhao Xingmo seemed to be in a hurry, so he instructed with a frown.
Pavilion Master Wu nodded before sweeping his gaze across the room. "Everyone, I believe there's no need for me to introduce Zhao shi to you all. He's the welcoming envoy of the Sanctum of Sages, and he's in charge of the selection. Next, I'll have him explain to us how the selection will be conducted and what we need to prepare. "
The crowd immediately turned their gazes over.
"There's no need for any preparation. I'll just state my requirements straight away. Those who don't meet my requirements, there's no need to waste any time!"
Raising his eyebrows, Zhao Xingmo waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "I believe that all of you should have some understanding of the Sanctum of Sages. In order to enter the Sanctum of Sages, the first requirement is to become a Seven Star master teacher before thirty, and your cultivation must be at least at Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm or above. Everyone here seems to be a suitable candidate, but in my opinion, the higher your cultivation, the better. So far, there are only two Saint 4-dan cultivators who have reached Saint 4-dan. Since they are staying behind, the rest of you can return to your residence. "
"This …"
"The selection is over?"
"Isn't this too childish?"
Everyone looked at one another in dismay. They did not expect that only two of them would be eliminated based on their cultivation.
"The Sanctum of Sages isn't a Master Teacher Academy. As long as you meet the requirements, it will accept you. It's the highest academy on the Master Teacher Continent, and it specializes in grooming Sages. If you are lacking in strength, don't waste your time here!"
Zhao Xingmo frowned. "I don't have that much time to waste on you!"
"Uh …"
Not expecting the other party to be so direct, Pavilion Master Wu felt a little awkward. "Isn't it a little too arbitrary to decide based on one's cultivation? Zhao shi, do you want to take another look? There are many master teachers in the Sanctum of Sages. While their cultivation might not be too high, they should be able to hold their own in other aspects. "
"There's no need for that. I have only gone through the preliminary selection. I will have to undergo a semi-selection once we reach the Qianchong Empire, and the final selection once we enter the City of Sages. If my cultivation hasn't even reached Primordial Spirit realm yet, I won't be able to clear the semi-selection. It would be a waste of my time to bring you along!"
Zhao Xingmo said with a wave of his hand.
"Forget it."
Hearing Zhao Xingmo's words, Pavilion Master Wu could only shake his head with a bitter smile. He turned to the crowd and said, "There's no need to feel discouraged. Cultivate diligently, and you'll be able to make significant improvements no matter where you go. There's no need for you to go to the Sanctum of Sages!"
"Yes, Pavilion Master Wu."
Knowing that Pavilion Master Wu's words were meant to console them, the dozen or so geniuses could only shake their heads and leave.
In truth, they also knew their limits. While their cultivation and talent weren't too weak, they were still a far cry from matching up to Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao.
There was no way they would be selected to enter the Sanctum of Sages in Qingyuan City.
After the crowd left, leaving only Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao behind, Zhao Xingmo's gaze turned to them.
"The Sanctum of Sages selects the cream of the crop of mankind. In the future, they'll be able to rule over a region and become a formidable figure. If you want others to submit to you, there's no need for words. Strength is the most important factor. As such, strength is the most important factor in determining one's standing. "
Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.
Schemes and disguises might be able to intimidate others for a short period of time, but what truly won others over was one's own strength.
Take the current him for example. There was no one in the Qingyuan Empire who could match him, and with this backing, he had nothing to fear.
If he were to rely solely on disguises, it would only be a matter of time before he was seen through.
Therefore, the heroes of a region never relied on schemes, but on their fists.
If they were unconvinced, they would just crush them until they submitted to him!
Mingshi Tang's righteousness was just one of the reasons why he ruled over the world. More importantly, he wielded absolute fighting prowess that no other occupation dared to refute.
In the past, there had been two major occupations in the world … soul oracles and poison masters.
The former had been eliminated, and even now, their lineage had been severed. On the other hand, the latter had been chased into a corner, not daring to reveal his true identity.
This was not tyranny but authority.
By the same logic, the reason why Saint Clans were feared by others was not because they had produced a Sage in the past, but because they still possessed a formidable foundation and strength.
Only with fists could there be benevolence. Without sufficient strength, no matter how much one spoke, it would all be meaningless.
Zhang Jiuxiao also responded with a sigh, full of emotions.
Even though he was from the side family, if his cultivation had reached Saint 6-dan or 7-dan by now, he would still have been highly regarded by his clan. He wouldn't have ended up in a small Conferred Empire vying for a slot.
Seeing that the two of them understood his intentions, Zhao Xingmo nodded before pointing to the two young men behind him.
"These two are auditing students of the Sanctum of Sages. They aren't particularly outstanding, but they aren't weak either. Furthermore, they are able to form a unique collaborative formation with one another. Whoever among you can withstand three blows from them will be considered to have passed the test! "
Huala!
As Zhao Xingmo spoke, the two young men stepped forward and released their auras. In an instant, the entire hall turned cold, and one could feel a heavy pressure pressing down on them.
"How powerful …"
Even though they hadn't crossed blows yet, just from their aura alone, Zhang Xuan could tell that while the two of them were only at Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage like him, they wielded fighting prowess comparable to Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle cultivators. If they were to work together, they would be able to put up a fight even against ordinary Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivators.
In other words, even a Leaving Aperture realm expert like Pavilion Master Wu might not necessarily be a match for the both of them.
But … they were only auditing students?
If so, how powerful would the true students of the Sanctum of Sages be?
"Which of you wants to go first?"
After introducing Zhang Xuan, Zhao Xingmo turned to Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Jiuxiao assessed the duo before him for a long moment before shaking his head with a bitter smile. "Zhang Shi, I didn't know that you were intending to enter the Sanctum of Sages as well. Since you are going, I think I'll just forfeit!"
"Forfeit?"
Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
He was still thinking that there would be a battle, but who could have thought that the genius of the Zhang clan would actually forfeit?
"Indeed. Rather than humiliating myself, I might as well forfeit …"
Zhang Jiuxiao sighed helplessly.
He had come all the way from his clan to vie for the only slot in the Sanctum of Sages, so naturally, he was filled with yearning for the Sanctum of Sages. He had thought that he would be able to succeed, but who could have known that Zhang Xuan would suddenly appear?
He had thought that he would stand a chance against the other party due to his talent, but after learning that the other party was a Celestial Master Teacher, he dared not think too much about it.
A figure like that was destined to be recorded in the annals of history. He was not someone whom he could stand a chance against.
Not to mention, based on his current strength, it was unlikely that he would be able to withstand three blows from the other party.
"This …"
Seeing the look on Zhang Jiuxiao's face, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before raising his head to look at Zhao Xingmo. "Zhao shi, you said that whoever is able to withstand three blows from the two of them will be able to clear the examination, right?"
"That's right!"
Zhao Xingmo nodded.
"Very well. If both of us are able to withstand their blows, does that mean that the Qingyuan Empire will have two slots to enter the Sanctum of Sages?" Zhang Xuan asked.
"Both of us are able to withstand their blows?" Zhao Xingmo sneered coldly. "There's a good chance that none of us will be able to do so."
"That might not necessarily be the case." Zhang Xuan shook his head.
Previously, due to Lozosy, he had been prejudiced against the Zhang family. However, after interacting with them for a period of time, he realized that Zhang Jiuxiao was a little arrogant, but he wasn't as bad as he thought.
The slot to enter the Sanctum of Sages should have belonged to Zhang Jiuxiao, and it was for this reason that Zhang Jiuxiao had left his hometown and stayed in Qingyuan City for several years. Zhang Jiuxiao could not help but feel bad for snatching it away from him.
"If both of you are able to withstand three blows from the two of you, I might consider it. However, don't overestimate yourself. It won't be that easy to withstand three blows from the two of them!"
Seeing the confident look on Zhang Xuan's face, Zhao Xingmo reminded him.
He did not believe that a master teacher from a measly Conferred Empire would be able to withstand three blows from the two of them.
"You only have to consider it. Whether we can withstand three blows or not will depend on our own strength," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.
"It's good to be confident, but let's hope that it isn't arrogance!"
Zhao Xingmo said with a frown. "Alright, which one of you wants to go first?"
"I'll go first!"
Zhang Xuan walked up to Zhang Jiuxiao and released his strength. Primordial Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivation, his strength seemed insignificant before the two young men. "You sure talk big.
"You talk big. Let us brothers see what kind of strength you have!"
The two young men sneered coldly as they walked up to Zhang Xuan's sides.
Even though they had not made a move yet, they had sealed off all signs of life in the surroundings, leaving one feeling as if one had been locked in a cage.
"To be able to exert psychological pressure and hypnosis before even making a move, not bad …"
Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.
As expected of experts from the Sanctum of Sages. To be able to induce psychological pressure before even making a move, those with weaker mental fortitude would immediately panic.
If such emotions were to fester, it could very well affect the outcome of the battle. The slightest carelessness could very well result in one admitting defeat before even making a move.
"Your fighting style is not bad, but you are still a little lacking in terms of mental fortitude."
Zhang Xuan raised his chin and placed his hands behind his back as he slowly took a step forward.
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