Chapter 1715: Mindset Dramatically Improves

"Jingxin Pavilion? Let's go check it out!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Since the Confucius Temple hadn't opened yet, and this place was said to aid one's state of mind, he decided to go. He had always relied on becoming a Heaven-Acknowledged Master to improve his state of mind. If there were actual cultivation techniques for it, he could practice them, making his progress less passive.

After walking for a short while, a building appeared before them. As they entered, a middle-aged man approached.

"Sirs, are you here to temper your state of mind, or to test it?"

"To temper!" Zhang Xuan replied.

"Please follow me," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "However, we don't accept spirit stones or other similar treasures here. Our fee is one top-grade Saint artifact per hour."

"That's quite expensive..."

Zhang Xuan was momentarily taken aback. While top-grade Saint artifacts were no longer particularly useful to him, their value far surpassed that of mere spirit stones. Many powerful cultivators at the Saint 8th or 9th realm didn't even possess a single one, yet here, one was consumed every hour.

"There's no other way," the middle-aged man said with a wry smile. "Cultivating the state of mind is incredibly complex. Setting up and maintaining the tempering formations and space requires an enormous expense."

"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan didn't disagree. He reasoned that anyone capable of tempering their state of mind here would likely be a Nine-star Master Teacher, whose mental fortitude would already exceed 27.0. For individuals with such advanced states of mind, ordinary illusion formations or hypnotic arts would be completely ineffective. To truly challenge them and exert pressure, the most valuable resources would naturally be required, justifying the high cost.

"Here!" With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan produced a top-grade Saint artifact. "I'll try it first to see how effective it is," he said. "If it's good, then everyone can give it a try." Having recently slaughtered 110,000 Spirit Tribe members and looted all their military supplies, he had over a thousand top-grade Saint artifacts in his storage ring, allowing him to use them without concern.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Please follow me..."

Soon after, the middle-aged man led them into a large hall. In the center of the hall, a small crystal ball stood on a pedestal, slowly rotating and emitting an enchanting glow. The walls were covered with countless carved cultivation techniques and insights designed to improve one's state of mind.

"These are insights left by powerful cultivators who came here to temper their minds," the middle-aged man explained. "We've verified all of them; they are accurate and greatly aid in improving one's mental state. However, their sheer volume and disorganized layout can be distracting. If you can focus on these while under pressure and maintain your core resolve, your mental fortitude will undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds."

The value of cultivation methods lies in their quality, not their quantity. Sometimes, having too many can actually be a hindrance. Each person's cultivation method is unique, and observing too many can lead to confusion. If one cannot maintain their foundational principles, not only will their progress slow, but they might even suffer qi deviation. This is precisely why the Master Teacher Pavilion does not encourage Master Teachers to learn multiple cultivation methods. Of course, there are both advantages and disadvantages. However, if one can face such a multitude of techniques and still maintain unwavering resolve, their state of mind will become increasingly firm and improve rapidly.

"To temper your mind, simply approach the crystal ball, place your hand on it, and focus intently," the middle-aged man instructed. "The crystal ball will continuously record the fluctuations in your mental fortitude. If you ever feel unable to bear the pressure, we will immediately stop the formation to ensure your safety."

"Understood."

Nodding, Zhang Xuan took two steps towards the crystal ball. Instead of immediately placing his hand on it, he quickly scanned the opposite wall with his eyes. A new book materialized in the Library of Heaven's Path. As the knowledge flowed into his mind, his eyes lit up. It contained a Heaven's Path level method for cultivating one's state of mind, formed by integrating countless cultivation techniques.

Previously, he hadn't really studied or collected books on this topic. After reviewing the content, he realized that cultivating one's state of mind was no simpler than cultivating energy; in fact, it was even more profound and elusive. Traditional methods involved using illusion formations and enduring various trials to forge an iron-like will, allowing the state of mind to slowly increase. This passive method yielded slow progress. Even with techniques that utilized supplementary items like patterned stones, the improvement was still marginal. The newly formed Heaven's Path cultivation technique, however, offered a solution, allowing one's state of mind to break through via active cultivation, much like True Qi.

"Let's begin..."

After mentally reviewing the cultivation method, Zhang Xuan extended his palm and placed it on the crystal ball. A flash of light appeared, and the number "29.1" immediately materialized in the air. As Zhang Xuan had previously sensed, his mental fortitude had indeed reached 29.1, placing him at the pinnacle of Nine-star Master Teachers and exceeding the 29.0 mark.

"He's... a Nine-star Master Teacher?" The middle-aged man was startled. He had assumed the young man, appearing youngest among the group, had the lowest mental fortitude and was here to temper it. He never expected such a high score. A value of this caliber was likely surpassed by very few, even in all of Qufu.

"Indeed!" Sword Saint Meng asked, her face beaming with pride at the man's surprise regarding her son. "Have you ever had anyone achieve a sudden epiphany and breakthrough while tempering their mind here?"

"Yes!" the middle-aged man replied. "Master Yang, Yang Xuan, came here with a mental fortitude of 28.2. During his tempering, he suddenly had an epiphany, increasing his score by 0.2 to 28.4. His breakthrough became a widely told story!"

Once one's mental fortitude reached above 27, each 0.1 increase typically required years of diligent effort. For someone to achieve a 0.2 increase through an epiphany in less than an hour was already astonishing, a feat countless others found impossible to replicate.

"Master Yang is certainly remarkable," Sword Saint Meng commented. "What's the record here for the fastest improvement in an hour, approximately?"

"The record belongs to an Eight-star Master Teacher," the middle-aged man explained. "His mental fortitude was 24.7, and in just one hour, it increased by a full 1.0, reaching 25.7. However, that's not really comparable. The lower one's mental fortitude, the simpler it is to make progress." Improving one's mental fortitude is like stacking blocks: it's easier at lower levels. Once a certain height is reached, each subsequent increment becomes exponentially more difficult.

"A-Meng, do you actually believe Xuan'er can break that record?" Sword Saint Xing asked, turning to his wife.

"My son is a genius," Sword Saint Meng replied confidently. "Isn't it normal for him to break records?"

"You're far too confident in our son," Sword Saint Xing said, shaking his head. "Mental fortitude isn't like other aspects of cultivation; it can't be advanced rapidly. Unlike cultivation level, where absorbing spiritual energy directly increases power, how could one possibly make significant progress without an epiphany?"

"Look!"

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp cry rang out. Sword Saint Xing quickly looked up, only to see the "29.1" value in the air flicker. In the blink of an eye, it changed to 29.2, then rapidly to 29.3, 29.4...

"This..."

Sword Saint Xing was speechless.